UMC and Virage Logic Collaborate to Enable Optimal IP Development
for UMC's 65nm Process Technology
Cooperation Will Help Enhance the Adoption of UMC's Next-Generation 65nm
Process Technology and Accelerate the Availability of Silicon IP
FREMONT, Calif. and HSINCHU, Taiwan, July 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- UMC
(NYSE:UMC)(TSE:2303), a world-leading semiconductor foundry and Virage Logic
Corporation (NASDAQ:VIRL), a pioneer in Silicon Aware IP(TM) and leading
provider of semiconductor intellectual property (IP) platforms, have announced
an agreement where Virage Logic will extend its IP and circuit design expertise
to jointly work with UMC to enable optimal IP development for UMC's 65nm
process technology. This early engagement partnership will help accelerate
adoption of UMC's next generation technology platform and provide a predictable
roadmap for enhancements of key IP structures such as memory bit cells. (See
related announcement: "Virage Logic Extends Lead with 65nm ... " released
July 21, 2005.) "UMC's strong commitment to technical leadership is underscored with this
agreement," said Alex Shubat, Chief Technical Officer of Virage Logic. "Because
critical IP design intent has been factored in from the start, the resulting
process will provide for optimal area, performance, power and yield much sooner
than with traditional process development flows." The agreement calls for Virage Logic to collaborate and consult with UMC's
technology and design support teams to analyze process parameters critical for
design of key IP elements such as memory, logic and I/Os in order to optimize
area, speed, performance and manufacturing yield of System-on-Chips (SoCs).
"At 65nm, design experts and process technology teams need to synchronize much
earlier than previous generations to address the new challenges brought by the
increasing complexities of deep sub-micron technology nodes," said Patrick T. Lin, Chief SoC Architect, System and Architecture Support Group, UMC. "Virage
Logic's expertise and understanding of the relationship between advanced
process parameters and semiconductor IP requirements will be a valuable asset
to this effort, and we look forward to their contributions to help accelerate
the acceptance of our 65nm process." About UMC UMC is a leading global semiconductor foundry that manufactures advanced
process ICs for applications spanning every major sector of the semiconductor
industry. UMC delivers cutting-edge foundry technologies that enable
sophisticated system-on-chip (SOC) designs, including 90nm copper, 0.13um
copper, and mixed signal/RFCMOS. UMC is also a leader in 300mm manufacturing;
Fab 12A in Taiwan and Singapore-based Fab 12i are both in volume production for
a variety of customer products. UMC employs approximately 10,500 people
worldwide and has offices in Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, Europe, and the United
States. UMC can be found on the web at http://www.umc.com/ .
About Virage Logic Corporation Founded in 1996, Virage Logic Corporation rapidly established itself as a
technology and market leader in providing advanced embedded memory intellectual
property (IP) for the design of complex integrated circuits. Today the company
is a global leader in semiconductor IP platforms comprising embedded memories,
logic, and I/Os and is pioneering the development of a new class of IP called
Silicon Aware IP. Silicon Aware IP tightly integrates Physical IP (memory,
logic and I/Os) with the embedded test, diagnostic, and repair capabilities of
Infrastructure IP to help ensure manufacturability and optimized yield at the
advanced process nodes. Virage Logic's highly differentiated product portfolio
provides higher performance, lower power, higher density and optimal yield to
foundries, integrated device manufacturers (IDMs) and fabless customers who
develop products for the consumer, communications and networking, hand-held and
portable, and computer and graphics markets. The company uses its
FirstPass-Silicon(TM) Characterization Lab for certain products to help ensure
high quality, reliable IP across a wide range of foundries and process
technologies. Headquartered in Fremont, California, Virage Logic has R&D, sales
and support offices worldwide. For more information, visit
http://www.viragelogic.com/.
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995: Statements made in this news release, other than statements of historical fact,
are forward-looking statements, including, for example, statements relating to
trends, business outlook, products, customer relationships and our financial
results for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2005. Forward-looking statements
are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which
might cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied
by such statements. These risks and uncertainties include Virage Logic's
ability to forecast its business, including expected revenues, royalties and
net loss for the third fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2005 and possible
discrepancies between the preliminary results and the final results to be
announced; the company's ability to ship against existing orders or customer
deadlines; Virage Logic's ability to maintain and develop new relationships
with third-party foundries and integrated device manufacturers; adoption of
Virage Logic's technologies by semiconductor companies and increases or
fluctuations in the demand for their products; the company's ability to
overcome the challenges associated with establishing licensing relationships
with semiconductor companies; business and economic conditions generally and in
the semiconductor industry in particular; competition in the market for
semiconductor IP platforms; and other risks including those described in the
company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended September 30, 2004,
and in Virage Logic's other periodic reports filed with the SEC, all of which
are available from Virage Logic's website (http://www.viragelogic.com/) or from
the SEC's website (http://www.sec.gov/), and in news releases and other
communications. Virage Logic disclaims any intention or duty to update any
forward-looking statements made in this news release.
Note From UMC Concerning Forward-Looking Statements Some of the statements in the foregoing announcement are forward looking within
the meaning of the U.S. Federal Securities laws, including statements about
future outsourcing, wafer capacity, technologies, business relationships and
market conditions. Investors are cautioned that actual events and results could
differ materially from these statements as a result of a variety of factors,
including conditions in the overall semiconductor market and economy;
acceptance and demand for products from UMC; and technological and development
risks.
NOTE: All trademarks are the property of their respective owners and are
protected herein. DATASOURCE: Virage Logic Corporation CONTACT: Eileen Elam of KJ Communications, +1-650-917-1488, or , for UMC; or in Taiwan, Alex Hinnawi of UMC, (886) 2-2700-6999 ext. 6958; or Sabina Burns of Virage Logic Corporation, +1-510-743-8115, or ; or Kerry McClenahan of McBru Communications, +1-503-546-1002, or , for Virage Logic Corporation Web site: http://www.viragelogic.com/ http://www.umc.com/
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