Tower Semiconductor, a global specialty foundry, and Crocus Technology, a developer of Magnetic Random Access Memory (MRAM), has announced an agreement to port Crocus’ MRAM process technology into Tower’s manufacturing environment.
As part of the agreement, Tower is expected to perform all manufacturing steps required for Crocus’ MRAM technology in its 200mm Fab2 facility. Tower and Crocus each would offer specific equipment in Tower’s factory for the manufacturing of Crocus’ MRAMs.
The integration of MRAM into Tower’s copper 130nm logic process is expected to develop single chip memory products as well as for embedding MRAM into SOCs for market segments such as microcontrollers, automotive and communications.
Avi Strum, vice president and general manager of specialty business unit at Tower, said: The combination of Crocus’ magnetic know-how with our own proven CMOS expertise will produce a differentiated and superior technology. At Tower, we are convinced of the industry-changing potential of MRAM, and we are partnering with the company best able to capitalise on this potential.
In addition to collaboration on the process port, Tower has taken an equity position valued at $1.25m.
