Nanotechnology Now - Press Release: AIXTRON and Ovonyx Partner to Develop Deposition Technology for Advanced Phase-Change Memory

Home > Press > AIXTRON and Ovonyx Partner to Develop Deposition Technology for Advanced Phase-Change Memory

Abstract:
AIXTRON AG (FWB:AIXA) (NASDAQ:AIXG) and Ovonyx, Inc. today announced an agreement to cooperate on the qualification of Atomic Vapor Deposition (AVD®) process technology to further advance scaling of next-generation phase change memory ("PCM") products. As FLASH and DRAM both encounter increasing scaling challenges in the face of shrinking chip geometries - PCM is widely considered a practical alternative for future commercial, high-volume semiconductor memory.

AIXTRON and Ovonyx Partner to Develop Deposition Technology for Advanced Phase-Change Memory

AACHEN, Germany | Posted on January 20th, 2009

"AIXTRON's leading market position in thin-film deposition equipment for the semiconductor industry provides an excellent platform for competitive development of new phase change material by AVD® technique for next-generation, high-density confined cell PCM device structures," said Tyler Lowrey, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ovonyx. "We look forward to working with AIXTRON to develop conformal deposition processes that will further enhance the commercialization of PCM products by worldwide chipmakers."

"PCM is on the verge of commercial adoption using conventional sputter Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) techniques, however, it is clear that subsequent generation PCM cells would significantly benefit from Atomic Vapor Deposition of phase change materials to further increase scalability and accelerate cost reductions," said Dr. Bernd Schulte, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of AIXTRON AG. "We believe that, working with Ovonyx, we can accelerate commercialization of AVD® phase change material deposition into high volume production and offer chip manufacturers higher productivity and low cost of ownership solution."

About Phase Change Memory Technology

Ovonyx and its largest shareholder, Energy Conversion Devices, invented and pioneered the development of phase change memory ("PCM") technology, thereby gaining a fundamental understanding of PCM operation, including PCM devices, materials, processing, design, modelling, and performance. Ovonyx PCM technology uses a reversible phase-change memory process that provides for high performance, dense, array-addressed semiconductor memory technology that can be used as cost effective Flash and DRAM device replacements, as well as in embedded applications such as microcontrollers and reconfigurable MOS logic.

About Ovonyx

Ovonyx was formed with the charter to commercialize its proprietary phase-change semiconductor memory technology originally invented at Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. Ovonyx nonvolatile PCM technology offers significantly faster write and erase speeds through its capability for byte-write in either direction (avoiding the need to erase a block to write a bit), higher cycling endurance, and better scaling performance with new generations of photolithography than conventional Flash or DRAM memory. Relative to DRAM, PCM eliminates the refresh power by retaining its memory without power. PCM also has the advantage of a simple fabrication process that allows the design of semiconductor chips with embedded nonvolatile memory using only a few additional mask steps. Ovonyx is pursuing commercialization of its array-addressed memory systems through licenses and joint development programs with semiconductor manufacturers including BAE Systems, Intel Corporation, ST Microelectronics, Elpida Memory, Samsung Electronics, Qimonda AG, and Hynix Semiconductor Inc. For more information, please visit www.ovonyx.com.

####

About AIXTRON AG
AIXTRON AG is a leading provider of deposition equipment to the semiconductor industry. The Company's technology solutions are used by a diverse range of customers worldwide to build advanced components for electronic and opto-electronic applications based on compound, silicon, or organic semiconductor materials and more recently carbon nanostructures. Such components are used in display technology, signal and lighting technology, fiber communication networks, wireless and cell telephony applications, optical and electronic data storage, computer technology as well as a wide range of other high-tech applications. AIXTRON AG’s securities are listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and, in the form of American Depositary Shares (ADS), on the Global Market of the NASDAQ Stock Market, and are included in the TecDAX index, the NASDAQ Composite Index, the MSCI World Small Cap Index and the Nature Stock Index (NAI). Founded in 1983, the Company is headquartered in Aachen, Germany.

Forward-Looking Statements

THIS NEWS RELEASE MAY CONTAIN FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS ABOUT THE BUSINESS, FINANCIAL CONDITION, RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND EARNINGS OUTLOOK OF AIXTRON WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE “SAFE HARBOR” PROVISIONS OF THE UNITED STATES PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995. WORDS SUCH AS “MAY”, “WILL”, “EXPECT”, “ANTICIPATE”, “CONTEMPLATE”, “INTEND”, “PLAN”, “BELIEVE”, “CONTINUE” AND “ESTIMATE”, AND VARIATIONS OF THESE WORDS AND SIMILAR EXPRESSIONS, IDENTIFY THESE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. THE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS REFLECT OUR CURRENT VIEWS AND ASSUMPTIONS AND ARE SUBJECT TO RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES. YOU SHOULD NOT PLACE UNDUE RELIANCE ON THE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. THE FOLLOWING FACTORS, AND OTHERS WHICH ARE DISCUSSED IN AIXTRON’S PUBLIC FILINGS AND SUBMISSIONS WITH THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, ARE AMONG THOSE THAT MAY CAUSE ACTUAL AND FUTURE RESULTS AND TRENDS TO DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM OUR FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: ACTUAL CUSTOMER ORDERS RECEIVED BY AIXTRON; THE EXTENT TO WHICH CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION, OR CVD, TECHNOLOGY IS DEMANDED BY THE MARKET PLACE; THE TIMING OF FINAL ACCEPTANCE OF PRODUCTS BY CUSTOMERS; THE FINANCIAL CLIMATE AND ACCESSIBILITY OF FINANCING; GENERAL CONDITIONS IN THE THIN FILM EQUIPMENT MARKET AND IN THE MACRO-ECONOMY; CANCELLATIONS, RESCHEDULING OR DELAYS IN PRODUCT SHIPMENTS; MANUFACTURING CAPACITY CONSTRAINTS; LENGTHY SALES AND QUALIFICATION CYCLES; DIFFICULTIES IN THE PRODUCTION PROCESS; CHANGES IN SEMICONDUCTOR INDUSTRY GROWTH; INCREASED COMPETITION; EXCHANGE RATE FLUCTUATIONS; AVAILABILITY OF GOVERNMENT FUNDING; VARIABILITY AND AVAILABILITY OF INTEREST RATES; DELAYS IN DEVELOPING AND COMMERCIALIZING NEW PRODUCTS; GENERAL ECONOMIC CONDITIONS BEING LESS FAVORABLE THAN EXPECTED; AND OTHER FACTORS. THE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS CONTAINED IN THIS NEWS RELEASE ARE MADE AS OF THE DATE HEREOF AND AIXTRON DOES NOT ASSUME ANY OBLIGATION TO UPDATE OR REVISE ANY FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS, WHETHER AS A RESULT OF NEW INFORMATION, FUTURE EVENTS OR OTHERWISE, UNLESS REQUIRED BY LAW.

For more information, please click here

Contacts:
AIXTRON, Inc.
Klaas Wisniewski
+1-408-747-7194
Strategic Marketing Analyst

or
Ovonyx, Inc.
Karen Connolly
+1-248-842-6096
Director, Communications

If you have a comment, please Contact us.

Issuers of news releases, not 7th Wave, Inc. or Nanotechnology Now, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.

Bookmark: