Impinj Aligns With UMC to Deliver Logic NVM Cores on 0.18um and 0.13um Process Technologies

Proven Technology Enables Standard Logic CMOS Integration With No Additional Processing

SEATTLE, WA and HSINCHU, TAIWAN--Feb 27, 2006 -- Impinj, Inc., the fabless semiconductor company whose patented Self-Adaptive Silicon® technology enables its intellectual property (IP) products business and UMC  a world-leading semiconductor foundry, today announced a strategic partnership to deliver Impinj's AEON® family of embedded nonvolatile memory (NVM) cores for UMC's 0.18um and 0.13um CMOS technologies. AEON NVM cores require no additional masks or processing steps for seamless integration into UMC's processes, resulting in shortened time-to-market for customers incorporating AEON memory into their SoC designs.

Several large, high growth semiconductor markets such as display drivers, power management controllers, RF ICs, and secure media applications require new features and functionality that drive the need for low bit-count embedded NVM. By offering Impinj's AEON product family on UMC's standard logic CMOS process, fabless semiconductor companies in these markets will benefit from silicon IP that can be easily integrated into their designs using UMC's process technologies.

"As the demand for embedded NVM continues to increase, we are pleased to partner with a foundry such as UMC," said Larry Morrell, Vice President of IP Products at Impinj. "Impinj and UMC are collaborating to bring state-of-the-art IP to UMC's customers. By offering our IP on UMC's industry leading processes we provide semiconductor designers access to the nonvolatile memory they need in the process technology they want."

"UMC continues to expand its IP offerings to meet the needs of customers designing today's sophisticated SoCs," said Ken Liou, director of the IP and Design Support division at UMC. "Impinj's technology is a welcome addition to our portfolio, as it will provide designers with a silicon proven NVM option for their 0.18um and 0.13um designs. We are pleased to offer the ease-of-integration and performance benefits of this IP to our customers."

Impinj and UMC will jointly qualify AEON/MTP and AEON/HV products in UMC's 0.18um and 0.13um technology nodes. The products provide true multiple-times programmable NVM with up to 100,000 programming cycles, support for high voltage I/O, 10-year retention, and bit-counts from 8 bits up to 8,000 bits.

About Impinj, Inc.

Impinj, Inc. is a fabless semiconductor company whose patented Self-Adaptive Silicon® technology enables its two synergistic business lines: high performance RFID products and semiconductor intellectual property. A leading contributor to the RFID standards for high volume supply-chain applications worldwide, Impinj leverages its technical expertise and industry partnerships to deliver the GrandPrix(TM) solution, comprising tags, readers, software and systems integration to offer RFID that just works(TM). Impinj's innovative IP products, core to the company's RFID tags, are licensed to leading semiconductor companies worldwide, allowing them to seamlessly integrate crucial nonvolatile memory (NVM) alongside analog and digital functionality on a single chip. Impinj's IP products include the popular AEON® family of embeddable cores, which provide rewriteable NVM technology in logic CMOS manufacturing. For more information, visit www.impinj.com.

About UMC

UMC  is a leading global semiconductor foundry that manufactures advanced process ICs for applications spanning every major sector of the semiconductor industry. UMC delivers cutting-edge foundry technologies that enable sophisticated system-on-chip (SoC) designs, including volume production 90nm, industry-leading 65nm, and mixed signal/RFCMOS. UMC's 10 wafer manufacturing facilities include two advanced 300mm fabs; Fab 12A in Taiwan and Singapore-based Fab 12i are both in volume production for a variety of customer products. The company employs approximately 12,000 people worldwide and has offices in Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, Europe, and the United States. UMC can be found at www.umc.com.