The semiconductor division of Siemens AG has teamed up in a joint venture with German Application Specific Integrated Circuit maker Elektronik in MOS-Technologie GmbH (Elmos). The new company will be known as Embedded Core and Power Systems and will develop and market integrated circuits combining power, logic and analog functions with flash memory, reports EE Times. Each company will own a 50% stake in the new entity. The chips will be manufactured at Siemens’ plant in Duisburg, as well as at Elmos’ wafer fabrication operation in Dortmund, Elmos’ headquarters. In January Siemens said its revenue grew by 36% in fiscal 1997 to the equivalent of $4.4bn. The division also said it expects to be profitable in 1998, despite downward pressure on semiconductor prices over the period (CI No 3,324). Under terms of the new agreement, Siemens will provide the new company with rights to its 8-bit C500 and 16-bit C166 microcontroller cores and a license to use flash technology.
