Infineon buys into Ramtron

FRAM, DRAM, thank you, ma'am

German chipmonger Infineon has taken a $30 million, 20 per cent stake in Ramtron, comprising $10 million in cash and $20 million in shares.

The two companies have also signed a cross-licensing agreement to give Infineon access to Ramtron's ferroelectric RAM (FRAM) memory technology, while granting Ramtron use of Infineon FRAM manufacturing.

In January this year, Infineon acquired 20 per cent of Ramtron's DRAM product subsidiary, Enhanced Memory Systems.

FRAM is a non-volatile memory (it retains data without power) which is used in products such as power meters, smart cards, test instrumentation, factory automation, laser printers and security systems.

"FRAM memory technology has matured significantly over the last 12 months, and we feel it holds particular promise in the future of the semiconductor market," said Harald Eggers, senior vice president and general manager of Infineon's Memory Products Division. ®

Related stories

Rambus - Infineon legal spat delayed
Infineon to announce record revenues