Nov 12, 2008

Press Release

IMEC and Panasonic Sign Comprehensive Joint Research Contract

Cutting-edge CMOS processes and More than Moore (networks, wireless, and biomedical) featured

Osaka, Japan and Leuven, Belgium - November 12, 2008 - Today, the nanoelectronics research center IMEC and Panasonic Corporation have signed a joint research contract concerning the most advanced technologies in the semiconductor, networks, wireless, and biomedical fields. Research will be carried out at the Leuven (Belgium) facilities and IMEC's research unit at Holst Centre in Eindhoven (the Netherlands).

Since 2004, Panasonic has been participating in IMEC's joint research platform on the most advanced semiconductor process technologies as a core partner[1] to accelerate its open innovation in this field. The world's first mass production of the system-on-chip with 65nm and 45nm processes such as Panasonic's "UniPhier®" [2] uses the results of the joint research with IMEC. Now, a comprehensive joint research program covering most of the research domains of IMEC will start by expanding the collaboration scope from advanced semiconductor process technology to include application areas of semiconductors.

For this purpose, the Panasonic IMEC Center will be established at the IMEC premises in December 2008. It will conduct R&D on network technology such as dynamically reconfigurable software-defined radio [3], ultra-low power consumption wireless communication technology for healthcare and lifestyle monitoring[4] and biomedical technology such as next generation biosensors.

Recently, thanks to the evolution of systems-on-chip, consumer electronics have advanced with higher performance, smaller size and lower power consumption. Future evolution of semiconductor technologies and integration with various other technologies is expected to further broaden application domains. In order to accelerate such evolution and integration of different technologies, joint research among the world class resarch institutes is essential.

Panasonic is enhancing its R&D in networks, healthcare devices and semiconductor technologies in order to realize an environmentally-friendly ubiquitous networked society. Panasonic will make further acceleration of R&D on cutting-edge technologies by expanding the scheme of joint research with IMEC, the world outstanding nanoelectronics research center as well as the world-leading research center in applications of semiconductor technology.


[1] Core partner
A member company which actively participates in a core set of research programs on sub-32nm CMOS at IMEC. Nine such companies as of October 2008 on worldwide basis.
[2] UniPhier is a trademark/a registered trade mark of Panasonic Corporation in Japan and other countries.
[3] Dynamically reconfigurable software-defined radio
A Software-Defined Radio system is a reconfigurable radio implementation which offers support for a large variety of wireless standards on a single hardware platform. It switches between the supported standards by controlling all parameters of the PHY/MAC functions in software or even by implementing some PHY/MAC functions on specialized software-programmable processors.
[4] Healthcare and lifestyle monitoring
Detecting health condition (capture, understand and judge outside stimulus) by live signals such as brain wave, pulse wave and body temperature.

Notes to editors:

About IMEC

IMEC is a world-leading independent research center in nanoelectronics and nanotechnology. IMEC vzw is headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, has a sister company in the Netherlands, IMEC-NL, offices in the US, China and Taiwan, and representatives in Japan. Its staff of more than 1600 people includes more than 500 industrial residents and guest researchers. In 2007, its revenue (P&L) was EUR 244.5 million.

IMEC's More Moore research aims at semiconductor scaling towards sub-32nm nodes. With its More than Moore research, IMEC looks into technologies for nomadic embedded systems, wireless autonomous transducer solutions, biomedical electronics, photovoltaics, organic electronics and GaN power electronics.

IMEC's research bridges the gap between fundamental research at universities and technology development in industry. Its unique balance of processing and system know-how, intellectual property portfolio, state-of-the-art infrastructure and its strong network worldwide position IMEC as a key partner for shaping technologies for future systems. Further information on IMEC can be found at www.imec.be.

About Panasonic

Panasonic Corporation is a worldwide leader in the development and manufacture of electronic products for a wide range of consumer, business, and industrial needs. Based in Osaka, Japan, the company recorded consolidated net sales of 9.07 trillion yen (US$90.7 billion) for the year ended March 31, 2008. The company's shares are listed on the Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and New York (NYSE Symbol: PC) stock exchanges. For more information on the company and the Panasonic brand, visit the company's website at http://panasonic.net/.

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