More Than 10 Million ULC Mobile Devices are Ringing Using the Modiotek Sound Generators that were Manufactured at Tower Semiconductor
MIGDAL HAEMEK, Israel¡XDATE 9th January 2007 ¡XTower Semiconductor Ltd. (NASDAQ: TSEM; TASE: TSEM), a pure-play independent specialty foundry, today announced that it has collaborated with Modiotek Co., Ltd., the new spin-off company from Macronix International Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ: MXIC; TSE: 2337.TT ), to successfully introduce 32-polyphony sound generator into ULC (Ultra Low Cost) handset models, following manufacturing 10 millions of MAP S32i series products for the past two years.
The MAP S32i is built for ULC phones with FM
tuner and hands-free features. It is equipped with 32-polyphony MIDI
engine based on wavetable synthesis technology, providing best
performance-cost ratio handset ringtone solution. Moreover, it has
integrated 16/32ohm stereo headphone amplifier, 8ohm loud speaker
amplifier, two stereo auxiliary analog input ports for FM audio
sound input and speech signal from analog baseband chip residing in
the cell phone system implementation; its unique function
integration provides total system costdown for ULC handset
application.
The MAP (Mobile Audio Platform) family consists of half a dozen
different products, customized for the specific cellular phone
models and applications which were built, using Tower¡¦s FAB2 0.18
micron mixed signal process technology and shipped during 2006.The
MAP (Mobile Audio Platform) products represent a business of
thousands of wafers each quarter for Tower.
Among the handsets using these products are leading models by two of Top-5 handset brands and a dozen of well-known handset makers. The market for ULC handsets is estimated at 48 million sets in 2007 and expected to grow to 150 million sets by 2010, according to market research company Strategy Analytics, the derived demand of sound generators is going to ramp up gradually.
¡§In our drive to optimize our manufacturing capabilities, we selected Tower Semiconductor to manufacture our highest volume products,¡¨ said J T Chung the newly appointed president and CEO of the Modiotek that develops the audio products. ¡§Tower¡¦s excellent engineering and manufacturing capabilities resulted in fast products ramp and smooth volume delivery, which is a must in the competitive consumer business.¡¨
¡§We are happy that Modiotek chose Tower for manufacturing the Sound Generators products family.¡¨ Said Yossi Netzer, general manager of the RF and Mixed Signal product line at Tower Semiconductor. ¡§Tower¡¦s customer support and manufacturing teams worked closely with the Modiotek, to ensure smooth delivery and quality execution. We look forward to a continued working relationship with them for the coming generations of this family of products.¡¨
About Tower Semiconductor Ltd.
Tower Semiconductor Ltd. is a pure-play independent specialty foundry established in 1993. The company manufactures integrated circuits with geometries ranging from 1.0 to 0.13-micron; it also provides complementary technical services and design support. In addition to digital CMOS process technology, Tower offers advanced non-volatile memory solutions, mixed-signal & RF-CMOS, and CMOS image-sensor technologies. To provide world-class customer service, the company maintains two manufacturing facilities: Fab 1 has process standard and specialized technologies from 1.0 to 0.35 micron and Fab 2 features standard and specialized technologies of 0.18, 0.16 and 0.13-micron. Tower¡¦s Web site is located at http://www.towersemi.com/.
About Macronix
Macronix International Co., Ltd. is a leading provider of innovative Non-Volatile Memory (NVM) solutions. Utilizing state of the art technology in the cutting edge fabrication facilities, the company offers a wide range of NOR Flash and Mask ROM products across various densities. Through strong relationships with its customers, Macronix continues to develop pioneering products for consumer and enterprise applications. The company is poised to increase market share and continues to expand its presence as the #1 Mask ROM supplier in the world. Macronix web site is located at http://www.mxic.com.tw.
About Modiotek
Modiotek Co., Ltd., a new IC design house spun off
from Macronix Audio Product Line, is a leading DAM (digital
answering machine) solution provider and concentrate on developing
key integrated circuit and system solutions for mobile phone
manufacturers. Modiotek¡¦s mobile audio products enable the delivery
of multi-functions with high quality, low power consumption, and
high integration to the music phone environment. Modiotek¡¦s web site
is located at
http://www.modiotek.com.tw.
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