Impinj Expands Multi-Time Programmable Nonvolatile Memory Product Line

AEFuse™ Memory Qualified and Available in Standard Logic CMOS Processes:
Zero Additional Masks Required

SEATTLE, Wash., October 3, 2005 – Impinj, Inc., the fabless semiconductor company whose patented Self-Adaptive Silicon® technology enables its semiconductor intellectual property (IP) business, has announced the expansion of its IP product line with the qualification of its AEFuse™ memory in 0.25µm with additional availability in 0.18µm Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) manufacturing processes.

AEFuse, a multiple-time programmable (MTP) embedded nonvolatile memory (NVM) similar to logic fuses, builds on the success of Impinj’s high density AEON™ NVM products that are also qualified in TSMC processes.  The AEFuse product line provides a new architecture that is ideal for myriad low bit-count storage applications, including trim data for on-chip analog components, encryption and identification information and chip configuration data.

As a reliable and cost-effective alternative to traditional fuse technologies, AEFuse memory provides 1000 re-write cycles, providing a more flexible solution for analog and mixed-signal semiconductor companies that require up to a few hundred bits of reprogrammable NVM.

“With the expansion of Impinj’s IP portfolio, engineers can continue to reap the rewards of our TSMC qualified products,” said Larry Morrell, Vice President of IP Products at Impinj. “AEFuse is another product in our Logic CMOS NVM product line that gives the system-on-a-chip designer more options to add features and reduce costs.”

Market Need
Impinj’s AEFuse memory is optimized for small bit-count embedded applications, including on-chip analog trim, product calibration, customer-specific configuration, and encryption key storage such as digital rights management (DRM) applications.  The diverse markets for AEFuse’s low cost, nonvolatile storage include: LCD drivers (for storing analog calibration and gamma correction tables), RF devices such as chips for wireless LAN, RF headsets and RF speakers (for storing system address and identification information) and dedicated-function microcontrollers (for storage of program code) each of which ship over one billion units per year.  In an independent survey of 47 companies conducted by a leading market research firm, 73% of respondents require NVM in their next design, 71% use densities below 16 kilobits and an overwhelming 95% must have an MTP solution because one-time programmable (OTP) memories lack the necessary flexibility.

Technical Data and Availability
Available immediately, AEFuse memory hard IP blocks are silicon-proven and fully qualified in TSMC’s 0.25 µm 2.5v/3.3v logic CMOS processes.  The qualification process includes tests for endurance, data retention storage life and high temperature operating life.  Impinj provides AEFuse customers with physical layout files, simulation models, timing information, and all technical documentation necessary for successful incorporation of memory blocks into chip designs.  AEFuse operates over a temperature range from -40°C to 125°C.  A qualification report is available from Impinj.

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 cost-effective semiconductor intellectual property (SIP).  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™ solution, comprising tags, readers, software and systems integration to offer RFID that just works™.  Impinj’s innovative SIP products, core to the company’s RFID tags, are licensed to leading semiconductor companies worldwide, allowing them to cost-effectively integrate crucial nonvolatile memory (NVM) alongside analog and digital functionality on a single chip.  Impinj's SIP products include the popular AEON™ memory, the world's first rewritable NVM technology compatible with logic CMOS manufacturing, and AEFuse™, the world's first rewritable fuse architecture.  For more information, visit www.impinj.com.