Silicon Storage Technology, Inc. (SST) was a Sunnyvale, California, United States, technology company producing non-volatile memory devices and related products. [72] [73] SST supplied NOR flash and other integrated circuits for high-volume applications. [74] Bing Yeh co-founded SST in August 1989, and served as its chief executive. [75] Starting in February 2010, private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management and public company Microchip Technology both made offers to acquire SST. [76] [77] In April 2010, Microchip completed the acquisition for about $292 million. [78] [79] Microchip sold several SST flash memory assets to Greenliant Systems (founded by Yeh) in May of that year.
SST supplies NOR flash memory semiconductor devices for the digital consumer, networking, wireless communications, and the Internet computing markets. The company produces and sells semiconductor products, including NAND flash controllers and NAND controller-based modules, smart card integrated circuits.
February 3, 2010 – Microchip Technology Incorporated, a leading provider of microcontrollers and analog semiconductors, announced today that that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Silicon Storage Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: SSTI) for $2.85 per share in cash. The $2.85 per share represents an approximate 35.7% premium to the amount that the holders of SST common stock would have received under the previously announced merger agreement between SST and Technology Resources Holdings, Inc., and an approximate 53.2% premium to the closing price per share of SST’s stock on November 12, 2009, the last day of trading prior to the announcement of the execution of the definitive merger agreement with Technology Resources Holdings, Inc. As separately announced today by SST, SST has terminated its previously announced merger agreement prior to entering into the definitive agreement with Microchip.
SST (Silicon Storage Technology), a leader in flash memory technology, has announced a new addition to the company’s popular SuperFlash-based FlashFlex family of 8-bit, 8051-compatible microcontrollers, the SST89V54RD-33-C-QIF.
Leveraging the company’s innovative packaging technology, the new SST89V54RD is available in a 6mm x 6mm WQFN package, making it the smallest 8051-based microcontroller currently on the market. The device’s miniature size and low power consumption are ideal for small form factor mobile applications, such as notebook PCs, MP3 players and GPS systems, as well as home entertainment devices including HDMI products.
Additionally, the SST89V54RD supports in-system programming (ISP) and in-application programming (IAP), which provide a variety of benefits to device manufacturers and consumers alike.
The acquisition has been approved by the Boards of Directors of each company and is expected to close in the second quarter of calendar 2010, subject to approval by SST’s stockholders and other customary closing conditions.
SST’s Superflash? technology and extensive patent portfolio are critical building blocks for advanced microcontrollers, said Steve Sanghi, President and CEO. This acquisition enables Microchip to gain earlier access to SST’s advanced technologies, as well as the ability to customize technology variants that can give us an advantage over competing technologies.
As the sophistication of mobile devices increases, size reduction and low power consumption become even larger issues for product design teams, said Paul Lui, senior vice president of the Standard and Special Product Group at SST and president of SST China. The new thin and powerful SST89V54RD was designed to help our customers meet the size, power and performance requirements of next-generation portable consumer electronic devices.
In addition to a tiny 6mm x 6mm footprint, the WQFN package offers an extremely low-profile nominal package height of only 0.7mm (maximum total thickness of 0.8mm), making the new SST89V54RD well suited for height-constrained mobile applications.
In-Field Re-Programmability Through IAP and ISP
Like all of SST’s FlashFlex microcontrollers, the SST89V54RD supports both IAP and ISP, enabling the user to update the flash device in the field or in an application. Both IAP and ISP lower cost and improve time-to-market for manufacturers, while bringing enhanced user experiences and convenience to consumers. These re-programming features also have a significant role in enabling increased functionality, such as remote diagnostics and product monitoring, in network- or Internet-enabled devices.
