Allentown, PA

Allentown, PA-An agreement reached between Lucent Technologies' Microelectronics Group and NEC Corp. is aimed at enabling dynamic random access memory (DRAM) to be combined with logic circuits in ASICs. Under terms of the agreement, NEC will provide embedded DRAM cell designs from its ASIC library, enabling Lucent to offer DRAM as well as SRAM and Flash memory within its ASIC solutions. NEC will manufacture the ASICs with embedded DRAM using a modular process technology at the 0.25-micron level that reportedly optimizes the performance of the logic and memory circuits. Embedding DRAM on a logic circuit supports the trend toward systems-on-a-chip, which combine several different functions on a single chip.