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kdboyce
Certainly MagnaChip is targeting their processes to growing markets, which can ...
Revived MagnaChip rolls BCD processes
Mark Lapedus
3/18/2011 7:03 PM EDT
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Following its initial public offering, South Korea’s MagnaChip Semiconductor Ltd. on Thursday (March 17) provided a sneak preview of its foundry roadmap.
Of most interest at its first-ever 2011 Foundry Technology Symposium here, MagnaChip tipped a new line of 0.18-micron bipolar-CMOS-DMOS (BCD) foundry processes for power-over-Ethernet and automotive applications. The revived company is also devising a 130-nm BCD process.
In fact, MagnaChip believes that its BCD process is key to its future growth. The company also offers other foundry processes and straddles the fence by selling its own standard products, such as display ICs, MOSFETs, power management devices, among others.
Other foundries are also expanding their BCD processes, which are geared for emerging power semiconductor applications, such as automotive, battery chargers, DC-to-DC converters and LCD drivers.
One of MagnaChip’s competitive advantages in BCD is its proprietary and critical deep-trench isolation technology, said Nam Kyu Park, vice president of technical marketing for MagnaChip. While other foundries are racing to devise deep-trench technology, MagnaChip has a head start and is emerging as the ''leader’’ in the arena, Park said during a presentation at the event.
As reported, MagnaChip recently launched its IPO in the United States. The company was formerly the logic division of Hynix Semiconductor Inc., but it was spun out into a new and independent company several years ago.
Last month, the company announced financial results for the quarter and year ended Dec. 31, 2010. Revenue for the fourth quarter of 2010 was $186.8 million, a 10.8 percent decrease compared to $209.4 million for the third quarter of 2010, and a 15.1 percent increase compared to $162.3 million for the combined three-month period ended Dec. 31, 2009.
Net income, on a GAAP basis, for the fourth quarter of 2010 totaled $12.3 million. This compares to net income of $61.5 million for the third quarter of 2010 and net income of $818.8 million for the combined three-month period ended Dec. 31, 2009.
For the full year 2010, revenue was $770.4 million compared to $560.1 million for 2009, a 37.6 percent increase. For the full year 2010, net income was $74.1 million.
Meanwhile, at its technology event, MagnaChip stated that the company has not been impacted by the earthquake in Japan. The company also did not give an updated forecast for the first quarter.
It did outline its foundry roadmap. The company believes it has a substantial lead in BCD, where it has devised a deep-trench isolation technology. Deep-trench isolation provides reduced leakage, lower parasitics, immunity from latch-up and other advantages over conventional junction isolation methods, said Andy Brown, vice president of sales for MagnaChip.
For some time, MagnaChip has offered four BCD processes. Three of the processes are based on 0.35-micron technology. They are offered in 40-, 50- and 65-V schemes. The company also has a 0.18-micron BCD process, which is a 40-V offering.
By year’s end, MagnaChip plans to offer HP18E80, a 1.8- and 5-Volt BCD process based on 0.18-micron and 80-Volt technology. The process is tuned for power-over-Ethernet and other applications, said Moojin Woo, senior manager of strategic marketing for MagnaChip.
In 2012, MagnaChip plans to offer HP18E50GF, a 1.8- and 3.3-V BCD process based on 0.18-micron and 50-Volt technology. The process is tuned for automotive applications, Woo said.
For the automotive sector, MagnaChip has a partner. In 2008, automotive chip specialist Elmos Semiconductor AG partnered with MagnaChip. As part of the deal, Elmos will use MagnaChip's fabs for production of some of its devices.
Not to be outdone, MagnaChip also devising a 130-nm BCD process. That process is due out in the second quarter of 2013.
Of most interest at its first-ever 2011 Foundry Technology Symposium here, MagnaChip tipped a new line of 0.18-micron bipolar-CMOS-DMOS (BCD) foundry processes for power-over-Ethernet and automotive applications. The revived company is also devising a 130-nm BCD process.
In fact, MagnaChip believes that its BCD process is key to its future growth. The company also offers other foundry processes and straddles the fence by selling its own standard products, such as display ICs, MOSFETs, power management devices, among others.
Other foundries are also expanding their BCD processes, which are geared for emerging power semiconductor applications, such as automotive, battery chargers, DC-to-DC converters and LCD drivers.
One of MagnaChip’s competitive advantages in BCD is its proprietary and critical deep-trench isolation technology, said Nam Kyu Park, vice president of technical marketing for MagnaChip. While other foundries are racing to devise deep-trench technology, MagnaChip has a head start and is emerging as the ''leader’’ in the arena, Park said during a presentation at the event.
As reported, MagnaChip recently launched its IPO in the United States. The company was formerly the logic division of Hynix Semiconductor Inc., but it was spun out into a new and independent company several years ago.
Last month, the company announced financial results for the quarter and year ended Dec. 31, 2010. Revenue for the fourth quarter of 2010 was $186.8 million, a 10.8 percent decrease compared to $209.4 million for the third quarter of 2010, and a 15.1 percent increase compared to $162.3 million for the combined three-month period ended Dec. 31, 2009.
Net income, on a GAAP basis, for the fourth quarter of 2010 totaled $12.3 million. This compares to net income of $61.5 million for the third quarter of 2010 and net income of $818.8 million for the combined three-month period ended Dec. 31, 2009.
For the full year 2010, revenue was $770.4 million compared to $560.1 million for 2009, a 37.6 percent increase. For the full year 2010, net income was $74.1 million.
Meanwhile, at its technology event, MagnaChip stated that the company has not been impacted by the earthquake in Japan. The company also did not give an updated forecast for the first quarter.
It did outline its foundry roadmap. The company believes it has a substantial lead in BCD, where it has devised a deep-trench isolation technology. Deep-trench isolation provides reduced leakage, lower parasitics, immunity from latch-up and other advantages over conventional junction isolation methods, said Andy Brown, vice president of sales for MagnaChip.
For some time, MagnaChip has offered four BCD processes. Three of the processes are based on 0.35-micron technology. They are offered in 40-, 50- and 65-V schemes. The company also has a 0.18-micron BCD process, which is a 40-V offering.
By year’s end, MagnaChip plans to offer HP18E80, a 1.8- and 5-Volt BCD process based on 0.18-micron and 80-Volt technology. The process is tuned for power-over-Ethernet and other applications, said Moojin Woo, senior manager of strategic marketing for MagnaChip.
In 2012, MagnaChip plans to offer HP18E50GF, a 1.8- and 3.3-V BCD process based on 0.18-micron and 50-Volt technology. The process is tuned for automotive applications, Woo said.
For the automotive sector, MagnaChip has a partner. In 2008, automotive chip specialist Elmos Semiconductor AG partnered with MagnaChip. As part of the deal, Elmos will use MagnaChip's fabs for production of some of its devices.
Not to be outdone, MagnaChip also devising a 130-nm BCD process. That process is due out in the second quarter of 2013.
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kdboyce
3/21/2011 2:12 AM EDT
Certainly MagnaChip is targeting their processes to growing markets, which can lead to significant growth. The key to success will be having design partners/customers in those fields that can produce designs that go into high volume production.
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