HED Launches the First 55nm Smart Card Chip Based on SMIC's 55nm LL eFlash Platform

SHANGHAI, Aug. 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation ("SMIC"; NYSE: SMI; SEHK: 981) and CEC Huada Electronic Design Co., Ltd. ("HED") jointly announced today that HED has launched China's first 55nm smart card chip based on SMIC's 55nm LL (low leakage) eFlash (embedded flash) platform. With the benefits of being smaller in size, lower power consumption and faster performance, it has been put into mass production and is being widely recognized by customers.

SMIC's 55nm LL eFlash platform offers high-performance and low-cost solutions to customers. The platform has complete logic compatibility and all of our extensive 1.2V logic library IPs can be applied to this embedded platform. The lower logic voltage of the 1.2V core device reduces the chips' power consumption and maximizes their performance. In addition, the performance and reliability has been made more efficient with the use of Cu-BEoL (Back-end of Line). This allows a higher electric current density in the existing design by having a lower electrical resistance caused by Copper's electro-migration. The surface area of the chips has shrunk significantly and the smaller cell size allows the application of large flash memory possible. As the flash cell continues to shrink, the chip area will be further optimized to make it more economical. At present, the technology platform has passed the product reliability test and can meet the application requirements of standard smart cards. Based on this platform, HED has successfully launched China's first advanced 55nm smart card chip to market.

"HED is committed to exploring new technologies and applications, such as 55nm analog circuit design and system design technologies, and 12" wafer testing and dicing technologies. The research results have been applied to product development and allow new products to be launched into market more quickly. " said Mr. Dong Haoran, General Manager of HED, "the successful cooperation with SMIC on 55nm smart card chip further strengthens our leading position in this field in China, and also demonstrates SMIC's efforts on developing advanced technologies. We're impressed with SMIC's stable and complete technology platform and believe we can work together to offer customers products that are low-cost, power efficient, highly reliable and durable."

"SMIC focuses on providing differentiated products and high-quality services to customers and meet their needs with highly integrated advanced technology platforms and high-efficient solutions," said Dr. Tzu-Yin Chiu, chief executive officer and executive director of SMIC. "HED has been a driver in China's smart card chip technologies. We are pleased to become its partner and help launch its leading smart card chip product. With the rapid growth of China's smart card market, SMIC will continue to collaborate with HED and help customers expand the market and obtain more shares with advanced technology platforms and world class services."

About HED

CEC Huada Electronic Design Co., Ltd. (HED) is an IC design company established in June 2002, and was previously known as Huada Integrated Circuit Design Center, the first IC design sector in mainland China. In 2009, HED became a wholly owned subsidiary company of China Electronics Corporation Holdings Co. Ltd., which was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (00085.HKSE).

HED specializes in IC design, development, sales and provides solutions to customers mainly in smart cards, internet of things and satellite navigation applications. Its products are widely used in the second-generation ID card, as well as other sectors in social security, refueling, mobile communication, public utilities, transportation, anti-counterfeiting of commodity, asset management, location information services, etc.

With many years of design and application development experience, HED has become one of the most comprehensive companies in smart card chip with significant market share in various application fields. Being the leader of the industry and also one of the top 10 IC design companies in China, HED has contributed towards setting up many national and industrial standards.

About SMIC

Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation ("SMIC"; NYSE: SMI; SEHK: 981) is one of the leading semiconductor foundries in the world and the largest and most advanced foundry in mainland China. SMIC provides integrated circuit (IC) foundry and technology services at 0.35-micron to 28-nanometer. Headquartered in Shanghai, China, SMIC has a 300mm wafer fabrication facility (fab) and a 200mm mega-fab in Shanghai; a 300mm mega-fab in Beijing and a majority owned 300mm fab for advance nodes under development; a 200mm fab in Tianjin; and a 200mm fab project under development in Shenzhen. SMIC also has marketing and customer service offices in the U.S., Europe, Japan, and Taiwan, and a representative office in Hong Kong. For more information, please visit www.smics.com.

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