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Honeywell Licenses Motorola's MRAM
Technology to Develop Non-Volatile Aerospace Memory
Component
Chip will be
'radiation-hardened' to withstand extreme space
environments
Minneapolis - October 08, 2003
- Honeywell (NYSE: HON) and Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) have signed a technology
transfer and licensing agreement for Motorola to provide Honeywell access to its
magneto-resistive random access memory (MRAM) non-volatile memory chip
technology.
The agreement is expected to
accelerate Honeywell's ability to develop radiation-hardened MRAM non-volatile
memory for military and aerospace products such as satellites where data
processing and storage performance is
critical.
Honeywell plans to incorporate
Motorola's MRAM memory elements with its radiation-hardened silicon-on-insulator
(SOI) technology to produce the first memory chip capable of providing data
stability in the harsh operating environments of space, including for satellite
and military applications.
"Combining
Motorola's MRAM with Honeywell's Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) radiation hardened
process will produce a new, revolutionary chip that improves data storage," said
Eric Doremus, vice president of Honeywell's precision sensors and components
business. "This is a breakthrough component that will result in greater
reliability of data despite varying radiation and power fluctuation challenges
in space environments."
Honeywell and Motorola
collaborated with DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Project Agency) in the
initial research and development of MRAM.
Chris Belden,
corporate vice president and general manager of Technology and Manufacturing at
Motorola's Semiconductor Products Sector, said, "Stand-alone memory and embedded
chip manufacturers are all looking for cost-effective, flexible memory
technology. We are excited to be working with Honeywell to meet their demands
and to build momentum behind MRAM as the flexible memory solution of the
future."
Currently RAM used in space and
military systems is susceptible to the bursts of high or low amounts of
radiation that interrupt power, requiring auxiliary systems to prevent data-
corruption and loss. By contrast, MRAM stores data through a magnetic cell
structure rather than through transistor cells, eliminating the need for the
auxiliary systems that add weight, require storage and often are less
reliable.
MRAM also offers exceptional speed,
memory ability and the integration of multiple memory-options on the same chip.
For computers, memory reloads information into "local memory" from mass storage
like a hard disk drive when power is turned on. MRAM allows programs and data
to remain in local memory even when the computer is turned off, which
significantly reduces the load time when powered
up.
SOI technology is similar to a standard
semiconductor, with the added advantage of its insulator layers. It currently
is used to fabricate Honeywell's radiation-hardened RAM and application specific
integrated circuit components for space and in operating environments where
radiation exposure may cause memory
failure.
Honeywell International is a $22
billion diversified technology and manufacturing leader, serving customers
worldwide with aerospace products and services; control technologies for
buildings, homes and industry; automotive products; turbochargers; specialty
chemicals; fibers; and electronic and advanced materials. Based in Morris
Township, N.J., Honeywell's shares are traded on the New York, London, Chicago
and Pacific Stock Exchanges. It is one of the 30 stocks that make up the Dow
Jones Industrial Average and is also a component of the Standard & Poor's
500 Index. For additional information, please visit
www.honeywell.com
About Motorola's
Semiconductor Products Sector
As the world's #1
producer of embedded processors, Motorola's Semiconductor Products Sector
creates DigitalDNA™ system-on-chip solutions for a connected world. Our
strong focus on wireless communications and networking enables customers to
develop smarter, simpler, safer and synchronized products for the person, work
team, home and automobile. Motorola's worldwide semiconductor sales were $4.8
billion (USD) in 2002. For more information please visit
www.motorola.com/semiconductors
About
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT) is a global
leader in providing integrated communications and embedded electronic solutions.
Sales in 2002 were $26.7 billion. Motorola is a global corporate citizen
dedicated to ethical business practices and pioneering important technologies
that make things smarter and life better for people, honored traditions that
began when the company was founded 75 years ago this year. For more information,
please visit:
www.motorola.com
This
release contains forward-looking statements as defined in Section 21E of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including statements about future business
operations, financial performance and market conditions. Such forward-looking
statements involve risks and uncertainties inherent in business forecasts as
further described in our filings under the Securities Exchange
Act.
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Media
Contacts
Cathy Gedvilas
Honeywell
+1 (602)
365-2934
office
cathy.gedvilas@honeywell.com
North
America:
Angela
Hatfield
Motorola
+1
(480) 413-4260
office
angie.hatfield@motorola.com
Europe:
Regina
Cirmonova
Motorola
+41
22 799 1258
office
regina.cirmonova@motorola.com
Asia-Pacific:
Gloria
Shiu (Hong
Kong)
Motorola
+852-2666-8237
gloria.shiu@motorola.com
MOTOROLA
and the Stylized M Logo registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. All
other product or service names are the property of their respective owners.
© Motorola, Inc. 2003.
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