Ramtron International Corp, the Colorado Springs, Colorado pioneer of ferro-electric memory chips, which is now diversifying into Enhanced DRAMs, is scaling back its alliance with Nippon Steel Semiconductor Co to raise some money. Nippon Steel is buying Ramtron’s 45% stake in the United Memories Inc memory chip design joint venture and making a prepayment for future royalties to Ramtron on Nippon Steel’s United Memories-designed products. The total valuation of the agreements is put at $8m. The total transaction provides Ramtron with about $3m in cash, with the balance to be held on account by Nippon Steel as a guarantee for 4M-bit enhanced DRAM products to be supplied by Nippon Steel for sale by Ramtron’s new Enhanced Memory Systems Inc subsidiary.
