NEC Electronics Introduces 40-nanometer Embedded DRAM (eDRAM) TechnologiesKAWASAKI, Japan, DUESSELDORF, Germany, and SANTA CLARA, Calif. November 19, 2007 – NEC Electronics Corporation and its subsidiaries NEC Electronics America, Inc. and NEC Electronics (Europe) GmbH, today introduced two new technologies for the manufacture of 40-nanometer (nm) system-on-chip (SoC) devices with embedded dynamic random access memory (eDRAM). The UX8GD eDRAM technology boasts clock speeds up to 800 megahertz and low operating power, making it optimal for use in consumer electronics products such as digital video cameras and game consoles. The UX8LD eDRAM technology features low leakage-current levels that reduce power consumption by as much two -thirds compared to equivalent SRAM, making it ideal for use in mobile handsets and other portable devices that require low standby power. The UX8GD and UX8LD technologies combine leading-edge 40 nm CMOS process technology with NEC Electronics' unique eDRAM process technology, and are available in memory configurations up to 256 megabits. Cell size is 0.06 square micron meters, 50 percent smaller than the company's previous 55 nm UX7LSeD eDRAM. This translates to a 50 percent reduction in overall chip size, which contributes to lowe r bill-of-materials costs. The new 40 nm technologies also leverage innovative high-dielectric (high-k) materials – such as hafnium gate dielectrics, nickel-silicide gate electrodes, and zirconium -oxide DRAM capacitors – that have been proven in NEC Electronics' 55 nm UX7LSeD technology. These innovations lower the concentration of impurities and parasitic resistance in the channels, resulting in benefits such as lower leakage current between the drain and source, longer-term data storage, fewer variations in transistor performance, and greater performance of both logic and memory.