X-FAB Silicon Foundries SE has announced a major innovation in NVM data storage

     X-FAB Silicon Foundries SE has announced a major innovation in NVM data storage that leverages its best-in-class SONOS technology. The company manufactures products on its high-voltage BCD-on-SOI XT011 platform, which can provide customers with 32KB capacity embedded flash IP compliant with AECQ100 grade 0, combined with an additional 4kbit EEPROM - all on 110nm semiconductor process nodes. From 2025 onwards, there are plans to cut 64KB and 128KB flash memory and larger EEPROMs.

     By adopting a unique approach, the Flash and EEPROM components are located in a single macro and share the required control circuitry. This means a simpler arrangement, which reduces the overall footprint of the combined components, and sets a new industry benchmark for 32KB storage solutions that support class 0, 1750C.

     Flash provides customers with state-of-the-art data access, with the ability to read data over the entire temperature range from -40 degrees Celsius to 175 degrees Celsius, and EEPROM can also write data over the 175 degrees Celsius temperature range. EEPROM is advantageous for applications that require more frequent writing, increasing the durability and flexibility of flash memory. It can also effectively act as a cache, writing data to Flash when operating conditions are not suitable for writing to Flash, and then writing to Flash when the temperature drops below 125 ° C. With superior robustness, continuous data storage integrity and significant space savings, the IP is designed to meet the needs of automotive, medical and industrial applications.

     The new NVM combination IP uses a 64-bit bus, the Flash component uses 8-bit ECC, and the EEPROM component uses 14-bit ECC. This allows zero ppm error performance in deployed devices that integrate it. Dedicated circuits for easy memory access and DFT can significantly reduce test times and minimize associated costs. The company can also provide BIST modules and test services if required.

     "With this new NVM IP, utilizing our proprietary SONOS technology, X-FAB achieves the highest level of reliability. This IP will provide our customers with best-in-class embedded system data retention and temperature stability, "explains Thomas Ramsch, Director of NVM development at X-FAB. By combining two different NVM elements into a single macro, one Flash and the other EEPROM, we can now offer an embedded data storage solution capable of handling the most difficult operational situations."

     Nando Basile, Technical Marketing Manager for NVM Solutions at X-FAB, added: "By reducing footprint and speeding up access times, our NVM portfolio IP will play a key role in the development of highly logical content applications." This will enable the next generation of smart sensor and actuator CPU system designs with a greater range of capabilities, whether based on existing CPU architectures, such as ARM or RISC-V, or proprietary designs from customers."