Embedded non-volatile memory (NVM) has become an integral part of today's successful IC design strategy. Cahners In-Stat Group says that embedded FLASH use alone will grow at a 26.4 percent compounded annual growth rate between 2000 and 2005.

Embedded non-volatile memory has found its way into a wide variety of applications including high-end communications appliances, micro-controllers, wired and wireless gadgets, automotive implementations, industrial meters, and IC cards. Despite its growing popularity, NVM is a rather proprietary technology, found primarily only in few companies where it enjoys mostly captive usage. TSMC was the first foundry to develop and offer NVM that can be embedded with logic circuits. TSMC's embedded flash has been available since

1997, but it wasn't until recently that the company added an expanded embedded NVM family -- LogicNVM -- to its process technology portfolio. Designers have found that by substituting embedded flash for ROM, they gain design flexibility, fast time-to-market, and a more-easily maintained product inventory. Integrating flash along, with other elements on a single die, also simplifies memory interface, increases access speed and performance, and reduces pin numbers required for alternative off-chip configurations. TSMC's embedded flash (EmbFlash) process portfolio covers the 0.50-micron, 0.35-micron, and 0.25-micron process nodes. The 0.18-micron EmbFlash is expected to be available in the second quarter of this year, with the 0.13-micron process to follow soon after. The EmbFlash processes offer flash macros ranging from 4K bits to 4 Megabits, with a variety of speed and power saving features. TSMC has also rolled out a web-based flash compiler. Early phase designers working with TSMC can generate data sheets by specifying all candidate configurations. They can select the one that best fits their needs, or try additional options through a process that takes only minutes. For companies looking to EmbFlash to enhance time-to-market, TSMC also provides a low cost FlashROM alternative. FlashROM is a less complicated process that offers a shorter cycle time and little or no re-design. TSMC's embedded NVM has been facilitating many successful products since its debut. We welcome customers to add more design-wins on this leading-edge technology and true SoC solution.

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