UBM TechInsights Announces Finalists for Insight Awards' Most Innovative Process Technology

OTTAWA, Ontario, Feb. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- UBM TechInsights, the leader in technology and IP consulting, is pleased to announce the finalists for the Most Innovative Process Technology category of the Insight Awards.  The Insight Awards continue to be the first and only industry-recognized program to celebrate engineering design in achievement and the finalists for this category represent the latest innovations in semiconductor process manufacturing.

"UBM TechInsights is uniquely qualified to judge process manufacturing innovations as we have been studying process technology since Intel's first DRAM device in 1979", said Joel Martin, Senior Vice President Marketing and Product Management. "As engineers continue to push the boundaries of Moore's Law, with new introductions scaling semiconductors downward in size, the selected finalists have each made significant contributions to process manufacturing that deserve recognition."

The finalists for the Most Innovative Process Technology category are:

• AMD AD3850WNGX 32nm Accelerated Processing Unit

AMD's processor from their 'Llano' family was selected as a finalist for its achievement in reaching the 32nm process node. The combination CPU and GPU on a single package features the lowest power consumption put forth by AMD to date, perfect for its target market of mobile applications.

• Xilinx Kintex-7 28nm FPGA

Xilinx receives their first Insight Awards Finalist nomination for their implementation of TSMC's 28nm high-performance low-power process (HPL) process in the development of their Kintex-7 FPGA.  The true innovation of the Kintex-7 is the first implementation of High-K Metal Gate (HKMG) technology in an FPGA application.

• Panasonic MN2WS0150 Processor

Panasonic is the first to implement HKMG technology in conjunction with a gate-first process.  The true innovation in the Panasonic MN2WQS0150 processor comes from the ease and cost efficiency of this process technology, Panasonic has instituted a method that requires fewer process steps, setting a new precedent for manufacturing.

Intel-Micron (IMFT) 20nm 8GB MLC NAND Flash

• Intel and Micron Technology receive their second nomination for the Insight Awards for their latest MLC NAND Flash for being the first device manufactured at the 20nm process node.  Intel-Micron (or IMFT) has established themselves as a leader in Flash manufacturing process, including winning an Insight Award last year for Most Innovative Memory Process Technology for their 25nm 64Gb (8GB) MLC NAND Flash.

Freescale Semiconductor PK60X256VLQ100 Kinetis ARM Cortex-M4 MCU

• This microcontroller from the Kinetis K60 family was selected as a finalist for its use of nano-crystalline embedded Flash based on thin-film storage.

Samsung K4B2G0846D 30nm-class 2Gbit DDR3 DRAM

• Samsung receives a nomination for the Most Innovative Process Technology category for being the first DRAM device to achieve the 30 nm-class process node.  Dubbed the "greenest in the industry" by Samsung, this DRAM was able to achieve improved cost-efficiency and reduced power consumption by scaling down from the previous 40nm, 50nm, and 60nm generations.

About UBM TechInsights

UBM TechInsights provides professional services and essential intelligence to manage technology and Intellectual Property (IP) portfolios. With over 20 years of experience in technical analysis and IP matters UBM TechInsights provides a comprehensive IP management process that delivers maximum strategic advantage and financial returns for customers around the world. The company provides information and customized services in IP, Technical Intelligence, and Business Intelligence for each stage of the IP lifecycle. Global markets served include Automotive, Clean Technologies, Consumer Electronics, Investment, Legal, Medical Devices, Semiconductors, and Software. For more information, please visit www.ubmtechinsights.com. 

SOURCE UBM TechInsights