Crocus Establishes Prototyping Environment for Next Generation MRAM Technology

SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- August 12, 2008 -- Crocus Technologies, a premier developer of Magnetic Random Access Memory (MRAM), today announced that it has qualified its complete manufacturing environment for the development and rapid prototyping of MRAM. Building upon conventional 130nm CMOS sourced at a leading foundry, Crocus is leveraging Silicon Valley-based SVTC’s capabilities to complete the integration of its second-generation MRAM technology. To complement these two facilities and achieve a complete MRAM manufacturing capability, Crocus has invested more than 5 million Euros to purchase and deploy a full suite of dedicated magnetic-technology wafer processing tools for the deposition, annealing, patterning, and metrology of MRAM memory chips. With this investment and these achievements, Crocus has positioned itself as one of the very few companies in the world capable of fully integrating advanced MRAM onto CMOS.

Crocus’ proprietary MRAM technology solves all the well-known problems encountered in earlier MRAM developments. The company’s technology has demonstrated its stability, reliability, data retention, endurance, and scalability, while exhibiting high speed, low power dissipation, and excellent resistance to external perturbation.

“We found at SVTC an ideal incubation and development environment,” said Jean Pierre Braun, founder and CEO of Crocus Technologies. “SVTC is a modern foundry that provides a broad range of necessary equipment and processes. Furthermore, we have been able to install some of our own equipment in SVTC’s clean room, and we have deployed a complete, full-time Crocus team there. This has allowed us to develop and integrate our proprietary MRAM manufacturing process with outstanding efficiency while maintaining full confidentiality of our IP and know-how.”

“SVTC’s independent development foundry model is a great fit for companies working to commercialize novel technologies as quickly as possible, while maintaining strong intellectual property positions,” said Scott Marquardt, VP of Marketing at SVTC.”

About Magnetic Random Access Memory

MRAM’s unique characteristics make it particularly suitable to a wide variety of telecommunication, networking, computing and handheld applications currently using SRAM and/or flash memory technology. It is the only proven new memory technology providing non-volatility, unlimited-write-endurance, high-density, and high-speed. It is particularly well-suited to applications requiring high data reliability and high performance, and has the unique potential of becoming the universal embedded memory technology for systems-on-chip devices.

About SVTC

SVTC Technologies enables the development and commercialization of innovative semiconductor-based technologies and products in an accelerated, cost-effective and IP-secure way. Since joining forces with ATDF, SVTC now offers an even more powerful suite of leading-edge equipment and services, including full-scale 8-inch (200mm) and 12-inch (300mm) CMOS and MEMS process capabilities, development support tools and commercialization services. SVTC’s San Jose, Calif., and Austin, Texas, facilities deliver operational excellence and faster time to revenue, allowing customers to create real, manufacturing-ready solutions for rapidly growing markets such as MEMS/MOEMS, photovoltaics, biotech, novel memory, image sensors and high-voltage applications. More information can be found at www.svtc.com.

About Crocus

Crocus Technologies is an early-stage developer of MRAM technology for dense, non-volatile, high-speed, scalable RAM memories. Its MRAM technology was conceived in the Grenoble-based Spintec laboratory, a world leading R&D center in Spintronics affiliated with two famous French labs, CEA and CNRS. Crocus Technologies MRAM technology is covered by a comprehensive patent portfolio. The company licenses its technology for standalone and embedded chip applications in a wide variety of telecommunication, networking, storage, computing and handheld applications. Crocus is backed by VC firms AGF, CDC Enterprises, NanoDimension, Sofinnova Partners, Sofinnova Ventures, and Ventech and has operations in Grenoble, France, and Sunnyvale, California. Crocus Technologies, a premier developer of Magnetic Random Access Memory (MRAM), today announced that it has qualified its complete manufacturing environment for the development and rapid prototyping of MRAM. Building upon conventional 130nm CMOS sourced at a leading foundry, Crocus is leveraging Silicon Valley-based SVTC’s capabilities to complete the integration of its second-generation MRAM technology. To complement these two facilities and achieve a complete MRAM manufacturing capability, Crocus has invested more than 5 million Euros to purchase and deploy a full complement of dedicated magnetic-technology wafer processing tools for the deposition, annealing, patterning, and metrology of MRAM memory chips. With this investment and these achievements, Crocus has positioned itself as one of the very few companies in the world capable of fully integrating advanced MRAM onto CMOS.