Ramtron Launches Thin Film Foundry Services, Announces Development of Low-Cost Imaging Arrays With IR2
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 18, 1999--
Ferroelectric-based Imaging Arrays Expected to Significantly Reduce Cost of Life-Saving Firefighting Cameras and Other Infrared Imaging
Systems
Ramtron International Corporation (Nasdaq: RMTR) announced today that it's FRAM Development Division has launched a new foundry service named Ramtron Thin Film Foundry (RTFF). RTFF is now offering semiconductor industry compatible ferroelectric, electrode, and dielectric thin film processing services for semiconductor integration. RTFF's charter is to market standard and custom processed ferroelectric and related thin film material products for integrated semiconductor memory, piezoelectric, and pyroelectric devices as well as other applications.
"We are pleased to begin offering standard and custom thin film services for a wide variety of customer needs," said Tom Davenport, vice president of Ramtron's FRAM Development Division. "Through our ferroelectric memory development, we have a great deal of experience in integrating specialty materials such as PZT (lead zirconate titanate), SBT (Strontium Bismuth Tantalate), and platinum among others. We look forward to working with our customers to exploit the many advantages these materials have to offer."
Ramtron's thin-film foundry facility, located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, consists of a 6,000 square foot class-10 clean room dedicated to the integration of ferroelectric devices with CMOS underlayers. The facility specializes in the deposition and structuring of ferroelectric films and is equipped for processing of interconnects between ferroelectric elements and CMOS as well as final passivation. Complete information regarding RTFF services can be found at the company's corporate Web site at www.ramtron.com/thinfilms.
RTFF and IR2 to Develop Low-Cost Imaging Array Technology
RTFF and IR2 announced the development of a revolutionary infrared (IR) imaging array technology commonly referred to as an IR focal plane array. The IR imaging technology combines Ramtron's highly developed process integration technology for high-density ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM) products with robust atmospheric aerogel technology developed at Sandia National Laboratories. The combined technologies are expected to allow the development of lighter and more user-friendly IR imaging systems that would sell for a fraction of today's system prices. Current IR imaging systems such as those in use by firefighting organizations to find people in low visibility conditions are extremely expensive thereby limiting widespread use. The new IR imaging arrays are expected to lower the cost of these types of systems to that of everyday video cameras.
Initially, RTFF and IR2 will develop an IR imaging array that will have superior performance, (less than 40(Degree)mK thermal sensitivity, 100Hz frame rate, 50 micron x 50 micron to 6 micron x 6 micron pixels size) to existing uncooled IR imaging arrays at a price comparable to a Charge Coupled Device (CCD) commonly used in video cameras. Ramtron's high-density FRAM memory technology will be used as the technology driver for a 2000 x 2000 pixel infrared imaging array that will surpass current commercial 320 x 240 pixel arrays. Prototypes of the new imaging arrays are expected to be produced during the first half of 2000 and will be marketed exclusively by IR2.
The new imaging arrays are expected to dominate the existing military market as well as expand emerging commercial applications that require low-cost, high-performance, single-chip imaging solutions. Emerging applications include: industrial security for warehouses, shopping centers, parking lots and garages; process control for robotic systems; quality control systems for thermally sealed tamper proof packaging; automotive sensors and imaging for the smart highway and passenger safety; metal fatigue imaging for aerospace industry; and other applications including medical imaging, scientific equipment, law enforcement and fire safety.
About IR2
IR2 Incorporated, headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, has exclusive rights to develop imaging solutions based on Sandia National Laboratories' atmospheric aerogel technology. For more information about IR2, contact: Communications Department, IR2, 8000 East Prentice Avenue, Suite B-6, Englewood, Colorado, USA, 80111. Telephone is 303-689-9560; FAX is (303) 689-9677; E-mail address is info@irsquared.com.
About Ramtron
Ramtron, headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, has researched, developed manufacturing processes and commercialized ferroelectric thin films for more than 10 years. Since 1992, Ramtron has used PZT as the basis of its patented non-volatile ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM) products. In addition to the bistable polarization used in FRAM memory, ferroelectric materials including PZT and SBT also exhibit piezoelectric, pyroelectric, high dielectric permittivity and nonlinear optical properties. These properties make PZT thin films desirable as the core component of integrated sensors, actuators, infrared detectors, high-energy storage, optical modulation and a variety of other devices. Ramtron holds 148 international and U.S. patents covering its proprietary technologies.
For more information about Ramtron's semiconductor and thin film products, contact: Communications Department, Ramtron International Corporation, 1850 Ramtron Drive, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA, 80921. Telephone is 800-545-FRAM (3726); FAX is 719-481-9294; E-mail address is info@ramtron.com. Homepage is www.ramtron.com and www.edram.com.
"FRAM" is a registered trademark of Ramtron International Corporation.
CONTACT:
Ramtron
Lee A. Brown, 719/481-7213 |
