CHiL Semiconductor Selects Virage Logic's Flexible AEON(R) Non-Volatile Embedded Memory

Multi-time Programmability, High Endurance and Low Cost Make AEON Embedded Memory an Ideal Solution for Digital Power Management Chips

FREMONT, Calif. -- Dec 02, 2008 -- Virage Logic Corporation (NASDAQ:VIRL), the semiconductor industry's trusted IP partner, today announced that CHiL Semiconductor, an innovative developer of mixed-signal power-management integrated circuits (ICs) for use in a wide variety of computing devices, has licensed the company's AEON(R) non-volatile memory (NVM) solution. Virage Logic's AEON product line--multiple-time programmable (MTP) NVM optimized to meet the needs of digital power management products--provides companies like CHiL with a strong competitive advantage in today's high-volume computing market.

Based on a standard logic CMOS process with no additional masks or processing steps required, AEON memory eliminates the costly manufacturing steps normally associated with floating gate memory, while reducing the engineering effort and associated costs of integrating NVM into system-on-chip (SoC) designs. Virage Logic added AEON memory to its comprehensive semiconductor IP portfolio earlier this year with the purchase of the NVM IP business of Seattle-based Impinj Inc.

"The combination of Virage Logic's flexible NVM IP with our innovative approach to digital power management ICs makes it possible for our end-system designers to add enormous system flexibility, enabling our customers to quickly and easily optimize their designs without changing external components," said Don Desbiens, vice president of technology and operations, CHiL Semiconductor. "This pairing of optimized technologies enables a significant reduction in overall component count, PCB space, and bill of materials costs, all while delivering high performance flexibility to our customers."

CHiL Semiconductor delivers highly intelligent and flexible power management solutions to the server CPU and memory, desktop CPU and graphics GPU markets, where enhanced performance, digital communication and energy efficiency are key metrics. The use of NVM in CHiL's solutions is transforming these markets, allowing developers to configure each system to exacting requirements, with a minimal time to market and significantly reduced bill of materials.

Virage Logic's AEON NVM technology is subjected to rigorous qualification, including full characterization and reliability testing over extended temperatures and manufacturing process conditions. Featuring ultra-high yield and reliability, AEON memory is designed to provide full read and program operation across a wide temperature range from -40C to 150C, with minimum 10-year data retention at 150C. This capability makes AEON ideal for automotive and other applications that demand reliability even in demanding environments.

"By storing configuration and calibration data in AEON NVM, our customers can create devices that offer greater flexibility and higher performance at a competitive price point relative to the traditional power management solutions," said Craig Zajac, NVM product line manager, Virage Logic. "This allows companies like CHiL to create a highly differentiated product based on their own innovative algorithms and methodologies."

The AEON product line supports 100,000 write-erase cycles and bit counts from eight bits to 8K bits. AEON has been designed for high yield and reliability, enabling 100-percent electrical testing at wafer sort and eliminating costly field programming failures associated with one-time programmable solutions. Optimized to enable considerable manufacturing and operational flexibility, final calibration can be performed at wafer test, post-packaging or in the field. In addition, identical ICs can be calibrated and configured to implement different features at final test immediately prior to shipping.

Virage Logic's AEON is available on leading foundries and on process geometries ranging from 250nm to 65nm including variants for high voltage and BCD process nodes targeted for power management applications.

About CHiL Semiconductor

Founded in 2006, CHiL Semiconductor develops high-performance, mixed-signal power management ICs primarily targeted at servers, personal computers and other high-volume computing market segments. CHiL Semiconductor's devices tightly integrate digital technology, which provides a number of unique, intelligent features that precisely monitor and control the power management process, yielding significant gains in system power efficiency and performance, while reducing system design and complexity. For more information, please visit www.chilsemi.com.

About Virage Logic

Virage Logic is a leading provider of semiconductor intellectual property (IP) for the design of complex integrated circuits. The company's highly differentiated product portfolio includes embedded SRAMs, embedded NVMs, embedded test and repair, logic libraries, memory development software, and DDR memory controller subsystems. As the industry's trusted semiconductor IP partner, foundries, IDMs and fabless customers rely on Virage Logic to achieve higher performance, lower power, higher density and optimal yield, as well as shorten time-to-market and time-to-volume. For further information, visit http://www.viragelogic.com.