Samsung Qualifies 28nm LP Process Technology for High Performance Mobile Applications

Company Adds 28nm LPH Process Technology to Foundry Roadmap

San Diego, CA, Jun. 6, 2011 - Samsung Electronics, Co., Ltd., a global leader in advanced semiconductor solutions, today announced that its foundry business, Samsung Foundry, has qualified 28nm low-power (LP) process with High-k Metal Gate (HKMG)* technology and is ready for risk production. Additionally, Samsung Foundry has added a new variant to its advanced process technology roadmap, 28nm LPH HKMG process technology. With more functionality converged into a single system-on-chip (SoC), Samsung's 28nm LP and LPH process technologies offer designers comprehensive solutions to keep pace with the challenges of exploding bandwidth, advanced integrated functionality and low-power constraints.

By leveraging its deep, sub-micron expertise in advanced process and design, Samsung Foundry has tuned its 28nm LP process technology to deliver a cutting-edge process platform with 35 percent active/standby power reduction at the same frequency or 30 percent performance boost at the same leakage over 45nm LP SoC designs.

Samsung Foundry's newest process node - 28nm LPH process, has been specifically developed for mobile device applications that can deliver over 2GHz processing performance, offering engineers another option for bringing leading-edge system-on-chip designs. 28nm LPH offers 60 percent of active power reduction at the same frequency or 55 percent of performance boost at the same leakage over 45nm LP SoC designs. 28nm LPH process shuttles are available now.

"We are pleased to offer 28nm LP and LPH process technology with complete design enablement ecosystem to our customers," said Dr. KH Kim, executive vice president of Samsung's foundry business. "In doing so, our customers are able to design and manufacture chips that offer the best possible user experience on the next generation of smart devices such as smartphones, tablet PCs and Internet TVs. Samsung Foundry will continue to offer smart and innovative foundry solutions by leveraging Samsung's proven semiconductor business leadership."

Together with its 28nm LP and LPH processes, Samsung offers an extensive and comprehensive suite of 28nm LP design enablement solutions from all major ecosystem partners. Samsung EDA solutions include full process design kits (PDKs) and design flows from Synopsys, Cadence, Mentor, and Magma. Samsung also has an expansive licensed portfolio of standard cells, memories, and interface IPs from leading companies including ARM and Synopsys.

Samsung Foundry is currently accepting designs for its 28nm technologies. Multiple customer designs have been silicon-validated, and many more products and IP test chips are being processed at Samsung's logic fab, the S Line, in Giheung, South Korea.

For more detail information on Samsung Foundry's 28nm LP and LPH process technologies and its smart, innovative foundry solution, visit Samsung's booth #1404 at the 48th Annual Design Automation Conference in San Diego.

About Samsung Electronics' Foundry Business

Samsung Electronics' Foundry business is dedicated to support fabless and IDM semiconductor companies offering full service solutions encompassing design kits and proven IP to fully turnkey manufacturing to achieve market success with advanced IC designs by Foundry, ASIC and COT engagement. Currently in mass production at 45 nanometer (nm), and qualified for 32/28nm Samsung Foundry is also preparing next generation 20nm and beyond process technologies by leveraging the deep expertise in advanced process technologies, design technologies, as well as a long, proven track record in high-volume manufacturing along with its continued participation in the International Semiconductor Development Alliance (ISDA). For more information, please visit www.samsung.com/Foundry.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2010 consolidated sales of US$135.8 billion. Employing approximately 190,500 people in 206 offices across 68 countries, the company consists of eight independently operated business units: Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, Digital Appliances, IT Solutions, Digital Imaging, Semiconductor and LCD. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, semiconductor chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

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* On January 29, 2007, IBM and its research partners introduced the high-k/metal gate innovation as the basis for a long-sought improvement to the transistor – the tiny on/off switch that serves as the basic building block of virtually all microchips made today. Using the high-k/metal gate material in a critical portion of the transistor that controls its primary on/off switching function enabled the development of 32nm chip circuitry that is designed to be smaller, faster, and more power-efficient than previously thought possible.

Addendum – Ecosystem Partner Quote Sheet

ARM

"Since 2008, ARM has worked closely with Samsung to develop a comprehensive Artisan physical IP platform for Samsung 32 and 28nm High-K Metal Gate process technologies." said Simon Segars, president and general manager, physical IP division, ARM. "These proven platform solutions enable Samsung ASIC and Foundry customers to optimize their ARM processor-based SOCs and rapidly deploy high performance, energy efficient mobile devices for today's demanding applications"

Cadence Design Systems, Inc.

"As 28-nanometer technology enables faster and more advanced applications-driven semiconductor devices, Samsung's continued leadership with their 28nm High-K Metal Gate process technologies will help companies worldwide realize the next-generation of industry and consumer electronics," said Chi-Ping Hsu, senior vice president of research and development for the Silicon Realization Group. "We are thrilled to partner in this new development as part of our deep collaboration with Samsung, and, together, we will continue to drive low-power designs at advanced nodes for our mutual customers."

IBM

"The qualification of industry leading 28nm technology by Samsung is tangible proof point that the IBM Technology Development Alliance continues to deliver best-in-class High-k metal gate technology for high performance, low power SoCs - ideal for next generation mobile applications." said Gary Patton, Vice President for IBM's Semiconductor Research and Development Center. "Congratulations to Samsung for reaching this important milestone; we will continue to deliver leadership power, performance and density to our customers with our offering at the 20nm node".

Mentor

"Qualification of the Calibre platform for the 28nm Low Power High K Metal Gate offering is the result of close collaboration between Samsung and Mentor over an extended period," said Joseph Sawicki, vice president and general manager of Mentor's design to silicon division. "Giving mutual customers comprehensive design rule and DFM verification capabilities via the Calibre platform is more critical than ever at the 28nm node. Enabling designers to optimize by accounting for design dependent DFM effects will allow them to fully leverage Samsung's 28nm process capabilities, while minimizing design cycle times."

Synopsys

"Samsung is a strategic and highly collaborative partner for Synopsys. Together, we are delivering to designers a proven path to Samsung's 28-nm low-power process. This once again demonstrates the value of early and deep technical collaboration between two companies," said Antun Domic, senior vice president and general manager of Synopsys' Implementation Group. "Synopsys' Galaxy Implementation Platform, including In-Design physical verification and advanced low power design capabilities, along with broad DesignWare IP solutions now provides a silicon-proven 28-nm design enablement solution for our mutual customers. In addition, our collaboration continues with joint research and enablement support for Samsung's 20-nm technology."