Cypress sells off PSRAM unit to Taiwan firm

Nor flash market ~ PSRAM market


Cypress sells off PSRAM unit to Taiwan firm

Mike Clendenin(05/15/2007 4:48 AM EDT)

URL: http://www.eetimes.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=199600119

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Cypress Semiconductor is exiting the market for pseudo SRAM, selling off the business to Taiwan's Elite Semiconductor Memory Technology Inc. (ESMT) for an undisclosed sum.

Cypress offered little explanation as to why they were exiting the business, describing the deal as "consistent with Cypress's new strategic direction." The assumption is that the business just wasn't performing well enough to remain a part of the company's portfolio. The company said ESMT will continue all delivery and support to Cypress's current PSRAM customer base.

ESMT primarily focuses on low-density memory chips, ranging from 1Mbit to 256Mbit, that find their way into products such as DVD players, LCD monitors, MP3 players, set-top boxes, and video game systems.

The company is eager to build up its handset business, but a hole in its product offering has been pseudo SRAM. The company said the deal with Cypress will "significantly" boost its revenue and immediately put it on the radar of handset makers. "It will enable the company to quickly cut into the supply chain of major cellular phone makers, since Cypress is one of the world's top-tier PSRAM suppliers," said Hsing-Hai Chen, chairman at ESMT.

By using a pseudo SRAM architecture that employs a single-transistor DRAM cell rather than a six-transistor SRAM cell, pseudo SRAM helps GPRS and UMTS phone makers add more bells and whistles to their units while maintaining system speed, a compact form and perhaps most importantly, relatively competitive pricing.

Pseudo SRAM is pin-compatible with SRAM, allowing chips to be used as drop-in replacements for the asynchronous SRAM currently used in many cell phone designs. The devices can also include a burst read and write mode that emulates a flash-memory interface.

Numerous other companies offer pseudo SRAM, usually under other names, though. For instance, a number of memory companies have founded the CellularRAM work group, consisting of Cypress, Micron Technology, Qimonda, Renesas Technology, Etron Technologies, Hynix Semiconductor, Silicon 7 and Winbond Electronics. These firms have agreed on a common spec for pseudo SRAM as they develop it under the CellularRAM name.

Cypress was a key member of the CellularRAM camp. ESMT did not immediately respond to requests to clarify whether it will remain part of the CellularRAM alliance and collaborate with the companies on product roadmaps that may require specification changes.

ESMT's existing low power SDRAM product line includes 16-Mbit, 32-Mbit, 64-Mbit and 128-Mbit devices for the handheld market. With the PSRAM product transfer from Cypress, ESMT's Mobile RAM product line will expand to cover lower-density, low-power memory products including 2-Mbit, 4-Mbit, 8-Mbit, 16-Mbit and 32-Mbit PSRAM devices.