Weebit signs up DB Hitek foundry to offer ReRAM

Technology News | October 23, 2023

By Peter Clarke

Memory & Data Storage Analog

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Foundry DB Hitek (Seoul, South Korea) has licensed ReRAM from Weebit Nano Ltd. (Hod Hasharon, Israel) for customers to use as an embedded non-volatile memory.

DB Hitek joins Skywater Technology as a source of the NVM technology that has been in development for eight years.

DB HiTek, formerly Dongbu Hitek, is manufacturer of analog, mixed-signal, RF, power semiconductors and CMOS image sensors. The company intends to offer Weebit’s embedded memory technology for customers’ analog and power designs.

Under the agreement, Weebit ReRAM will be available in DB HiTek’s 130nm Bipolar-CMOS-DMOS (BCD) process. Weebit will receive manufacturing license fees, project use fees and royalties based on production volumes.

Weebit’s ReRAM provides a NVM alternative to flash memory that is easy to integrate and has excellent data retention at high temperatures. In addition, as a back-end-of-line technology does not require process tuning. Weebit ReRAM also provides higher density and endurance than other multi-time programmable (MTP) technologies.

130nm BCD

The agreement includes technology transfer, qualification, and licensing. In addition to its 130nm BCD process, DB HiTek has the option to use Weebit ReRAM technology for other process nodes. The companies did not indicate how long it will take to achieve sign-off on the memory. However, it is expected that availability in the 130nm BCD physical design kit will be achieved soon allowing DB Hitek customers to start designing chips later this year or early in 2024. Chips using the technology could therefore be expected in 2024.

Coby Hanoch, CEO of Weebit Nano, said: “Our collaboration with DB HiTek is commencing immediately, beginning with the transfer of our technology to the company’s production fab. We are seeing increasingly strong market demand for Weebit ReRAM and expect to sign further commercial agreements, including many of the top-tier foundries and integrated device manufacturers as well as fabless design companies, in the coming months.”

Ki-Seog Cho, CEO of DB HiTek, said: “Given Weebit’s high-quality technology and unique combination of design and process engineering, we believe the technology transfer and qualification processes will proceed quickly. Looking ahead, we’re delighted to see Weebit’s strong commitment to continued roadmap innovation.”