Brite Semiconductor Acquires Architectural License to Uniquify's DDR Technology to Consolidate Core IP Technology

Architectural license enables Brite to develop full DDR IP offerings for SMIC 40nm and 28nm，including LPDDR2, DDR3, LPDDR3, DDR4, and LPDDR4

Shanghai, China -- October 27, 2015 -- Brite Semiconductor, a leading ASIC design and turnkey service provider headquartered in Shanghai, China, today announced that it has acquired an architectural license to DDR (double data rate) technology developed by Uniquify, Inc. of San Jose, California a leading developer and supplier of on-chip DDR solutions. The architectural license gives Brite a proven foundation to develop DDR solutions for their customers targeting Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation’s (SMIC) 40nm and 28nm processes.

The architectural license covers access to Uniquify’s DDR controller, PHY and I/O technologies as well as special debug and testbench software developed by Uniquify. The underlying technology has been production proven across a wide range of product segments with support for LPDDR2, DDR3, LPDDR3, DDR4, and LPDDR4 applications in process technologies including 40nm, 28nm and 14nm. The architecture delivers DDR subsystems that are 20% - 30% smaller in area and lower in power than competing DDR technologies. Additionally, Uniquify’s patented technologies deliver the highest possible performance for a given system by dynamically tuning the DDR timing for each system without any bandwidth loss.

“The agreement with Uniquify enables us to develop leading-­edge DDR IP solutions and establish Brite as an advanced IP provider for the ASIC market,” said Dr. Charlie Zhi, president and CEO of Brite Semiconductor. “We considered many alternatives and concluded that the Uniqufy’s adaptive DDR IP has a series of unique benefits including very high performance, small area, low power and system stability in the presence of variation. Acquiring an architectural license to Uniquify’s proven DDR technology would give us the strongest position in the market place.”

“More and more IP differentiated and optimized for SMIC puts us on a trajectory to improve our semiconductor eco-system,” said Dr. Tianshen Tang, senior vice president of SMIC Design Service. “As SMIC moves to more advanced process nodes, it’s great to see Brite taking on the challenge by offering new leading DDR technology from Uniquify. It is significant for both SMIC and China’s growing IP ecosystem to be able to jump-start advanced, innovative IC designs.”

Under the license Brite will be enabled to generate complete, market-ready hardened DDR solutions based on Uniquify’s proven DDR PHY, I/O and controller architectures, and the right to customize these as needed to meet customer needs. The licensing agreement also gives Brite the right to implement Uniquify’s patented dynamic self-calibrating logic and dynamic adaptive bit calibration technologies.

Uniquify’s patented DDR solutions enables customers to differentiate their offerings by providing high performance and reliability while maintaining full compatibility with industry-standard interfaces such as AXI/AHB and DFI. Uniquify has been providing its DDR solutions to the worldwide electronics market since 2008 and has been granted numerous patents for innovations that deliver higher performance, lower power and smaller area when compared to competing solutions.

”Our DDR technology has been proven in many leading-edge products and we are pleased that Brite chose us to be their architectural technology licensing partner for their DDR IP portfolio going forward,” said Josh Lee, CEO and president of Uniquify, Inc. “Our patented technologies included in the agreement will enable Brite to develop and implement complete DDR solutions for their customers that deliver very high performance, with the lowest power consumption and area for many markets such as mobile and IoT market. In addition, our self-calibrating technologies allow highest performance to be achieved in lower-cost packaging, a key benefit for price-competitive consumer electronic products in China.”

“Uniquify’s DDR IP is a key addition to our ever-increasingly rich IP portfolio targeting SMIC processes. Our relationship with Uniquify also gives us a strong technology partner to work with as we look forward to deploying DDR IP for the 14nm process node,” added Dr. Charlie Zhi.

About Brite Semiconductor

Brite Semiconductor is a leading ASIC design services company providing customers with ASIC/SoC chip design and manufacturing services. The company was co-founded by Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation and Open-Silicon, as well as venture capitalist firms from China and Silicon Valley. As strategic partners, SMIC provides Brite Semiconductor strong technical and manufacturing support and leverages Brite’s design capabilities in test chip development. Targeted at advanced processing nodes to 28nm with high-end SoC design services, Brite Semiconductor provides customers with flexible design and turn-key services. Brite offers customers RTL/netlist to seamless chip delivery with enhanced economic value for low-risk solutions. For more information, please refer to the Brite Semiconductor website at www.britesemi.com.

About Uniquify

Uniquify is a rapidly growing system-on-chip (SoC) design, integration and manufacturing services supplier, and innovative developer of high-performance semiconductor intellectual property (IP) offering the world’s fastest DDR memory IP. Its “ideas2silicon” services range from specification development and front-end design through physical design and delivery of packaged, tested chips. It offers 65-, 40-, 28-, and 14 nanometer SoC design expertise, integration and manufacturing services to leading semiconductor and system companies worldwide. Uniquify’s adaptive DDR subsystem IP offers the highest DDR performance with the lowest power, smallest area and the best system reliability –– a result of its patented self-calibrating technology. Uniquify’s headquarters and primary design center is in San Jose, Calif., with additional design and technical sales and support teams in China, India, Japan, Korea and Vietnam. For more information, visit: www.uniquify.com.