Imec and sureCore collaborate on SRAM Design IP

Sheffield, England and Leuven, Belgium, Mar. 31, 2015 – 

sureCore Ltd., the low power SRAM IP company, and nanoelectronics R&D center, imec, today announced that they are collaborating on low-power SRAM IP. The collaboration includes the licensing of a set of imec SRAM design IP to sureCore to expand sureCore's IP portfolio and a participation in sureCore. Moreover, sureCore will establish a branch in Leuven to tap into the design ecosystem around imec. The Leuven-based sureCore team will consist of highly experienced designers who built up their expertise at imec and who will be instrumental in the collaboration between sureCore and imec.

"This collaboration is strategically very significant for us," explained Paul Wells, sureCore's CEO. "This will enable expertise to be pooled and shared to drive forward the development of low power SRAM IP solutions. Imec has world renowned silicon process expertise and an extensive IP portfolio that we will access."

"We are convinced of the effectiveness of sureCore's SRAM IP technology to solve the power issues of next generation wearable electronics and Internet of Things (IoT) applications where extending battery life is crucial. It is also valuable in the networking space where power and heat dissipation are critical considerations," added Ludo Deferm, Executive Vice President Corporate, Business and Public Affairs at imec. "By licensing a number of our ultra-low power design technology patents to sureCore, we aim at supporting sureCore to further improve the power efficiency of their SRAM IP blocks."

Guillaume d'Eyssautier, sureCore's Chairman, commented, "sureCore has identified the window of opportunity for SRAM IP that offers compelling lower power performance of more than 50% savings. This is caused by the discontinuity in Moore's Law that means that 1 million transistors will cost more and consume more power at 20nm than at 28nm. As a result, for many applications, 40/28nm bulk CMOS as well as 28nm FDSOI, will be cost effective for a long time, and being able to cut power consumption with better SRAM IP will make a significant commercial difference. We have run a successful 28nm test chip in March last year that delivered more than 50% power savings versus industry-standard SRAMs."

About sureCore

sureCore Limited is an SRAM IP company based in Sheffield, UK, developing low power memories for next generation silicon process technologies. Its world-leading, low power SRAM design is process independent and variability tolerant, making it suitable for a wide range of technology nodes. This IP will help SoC developers meet both challenging power budgets and manufacturability constraints posed by leading edge process nodes.

About imec

Imec performs world-leading research in nanoelectronics. Imec leverages its scientific knowledge with the innovative power of its global partnerships in ICT, healthcare and energy. Imec delivers industry-relevant technology solutions. In a unique high-tech environment, its international top talent is committed to providing the building blocks for a better life in a sustainable society. Imec is headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, and has offices in the Netherlands, Taiwan, US, China, India and Japan. Its staff of over 2,080 people includes more than 670 industrial residents and guest researchers. In 2013, IMEC's revenue (P&L) totalled 332 million euro.

Imec is a registered trademark for the activities of IMEC International (a legal entity set up under Belgian law as a "stichting van openbaar nut"), imec Belgium (IMEC vzw supported by the Flemish Government), imec the Netherlands (Stichting IMEC Nederland, part of Holst Centre which is supported by the Dutch Government), imec Taiwan (IMEC Taiwan Co.) and imec China (IMEC Microelectronics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.) and imec India (Imec India Private Limited).

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