Dongbu Electronics Expands Analog IP Portfolio to Support Development of Advanced Chips for Mobile Applications with ChipIdea

Update: MIPS Technologies Acquires Chipidea (August 27, 2007)

New analog intellectual property promises higher performance, lower power operation and up to 10 percent reduction in CMOS chip real estate

SEOUL, Korea -- July 20, 2006 -- Dongbu Electronics today announced the expansion of its analog intellectual property (IP) portfolio for 130nm node through a strategic partnership with ChipIdea, the globally recognized leading developer of both analog and mixed-signal technologies for advanced chip development.

Intended to support Dongbu customers developing chips for mobile applications, the newly added analog IP from ChipIdea promises higher performance and lower power operation as well as up to 10 percent reduction of CMOS silicon area required to process chips at the 130nm node. The new IP enhances Dongbu’s analog IP portfolio in three key areas, namely analog-to-digital conversion, USB communications, and audio codec functionality.

“Our new analog IP enables faster signal processing and lower power consumption for mobile phones when compared to similar IP currently being used,” said Dr. Jae Song, Dongbu’s EVP of strategic business development. “Moreover, our new IP offers the opportunity to reduce chip development expense thanks to low porting costs combined with reducing the chip’s footprint to process more chips per wafer.”
According to Dr. Song, the newly added IP will be made available to Dongbu customers in Q4 of this year following its complete validation through porting procedures and actual implementation in silicon. “While our new analog IP from ChipIdea will clearly enhance chip development for mobile applications, we plan to expand our analog IP portfolio even more substantially next year to enhance our support of chips designed for display applications,” he added.

Dr. Song confirmed that Dongbu’s steadily expanding IP portfolio will continue to focus on enhancing design support for advanced chips targeting both mobile and display applications with particular emphasis on power management. “We will continue our successful collaborations not only with the world’s leading third-party IP providers such as AnalogChips, ARM, Artisan, Synopsys, and ChipIdea, but also with the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy and the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) to develop our own IP.” He noted that Dongbu currently owns more than 60 percent of the IP in its portfolios, which is used in the design of advanced chips at the 130nm and 180nm node and is offered free of royalties to its customers.

Dongbu’s commitment to offer specialty solutions for mobile handset and display market growth opportunities was highlighted twice earlier this year, first by becoming the world’s first foundry to develop a CMOS Image Sensor (CIS) process at the 130nm node, and subsequently by becoming the first pure-play foundry to complete development of a 130nm wafer process for implementing NOR Flash memory. The foundry’s specialty solution focus is also evident in the design support and wafer processing it provides for both High Voltage and LCD Driver IC (LDI) devices.

About Dongbu Electronics

Dongbu Electronics provides world-class CMOS processing for system-on-chip solutions that integrate advanced logic, analog, and mixed-signal technologies. As a “Specialty Solution Partner” in high-growth markets, such as those represented by mobile handsets and flat-panel displays, Dongbu adds high value with specialized processing for CMOS Image Sensor (CIS), High Voltage, Embedded Flash, and LCD Driver IC (LDI) functions. Dongbu’s collaborate-and-thrive approach is evident across the entire manufacturing spectrum including prototype development/verification, packaging/module development, complete turnkey solutions, and accelerating time to volume production. The company’s stock is publicly traded under 001830 on the Korea Stock Exchange. For more information, visit www.dongbuelec.com.

About Chipidea

Chipidea is the world’s number one analog/mixed-signal merchant technology supplier targeting fast-growing market segments like wireless communications, digital media and consumer electronics. Chipidea supports blue-chip customers across the globe, has an impeccable reputation for delivering high-quality products and is known for its reliable execution. Chipidea licenses its technology to leading companies in these and other key markets, delivering everything from precision single-function blocks to full analog sub-systems. For more information, visit www.chipidea.com.