Our Focuses｜Green Product｜Research, Development, and Innovation

  • Our Focuses
  • Green Product
  • Research, Development, and Innovation

Green Product

Winbond has integrated our core innovative technology competencies with sustainable energy conservation and carbon reduction goals. Through green product design, digitalizing information systems, and improving production efficiency, Winbond can develop and optimize our products in various different areas, strictly controlling each step of our product process. Winbond promises to deliver the highest quality products to customers, minimizing the carbon emissions required to deliver our products into the hands of customers and consumers. While benefiting from the convenience brought about by technology, Winbond is lowing the impact to environment and helping the overall value chain effectively reducing carbon emissions.

Read Chapter Report Contents
SDGs 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
SDGs 7 Affordable and Clean Energy

The accumulated granted patents have exceeded

4900

1.2V NOR Flash, compared with 1.8V NOR Flash, the total power consumption is reduced by

45

%

Received the Taiwan Intellectual Property Management System Certification Class A

TIPS

Research, Development, and Innovation
Research, Development, and Innovation
Product and Service Quality Management
Customer Relationship Management

Research, Development, and Innovation

 

Innovation in Technology and Services

 

Winbond provides global customers with comprehensive specialty Memory solutions. Core products include Code Storage Flash Memory, TrustME® Secure Flash Memory, Specialty DRAM, and Mobile DRAM, making Winbond the only Taiwanese manufacturer with proprietary technologies in both Flash and DRAM. Winbond leverages the synergies generated by its product portfolio and adopts a green product design philosophy to meet diverse customer needs. This enables customers to combine their expertise with Winbond's innovative green products for applications in hand-held devices, consumer electronics, computer peripherals, artificial intelligence, automotive, and industrial electronics markets. To achieve environmental friendliness and sustainable growth while providing customers with high-quality and innovative products and services, Winbond continuously invests in research and development, technology, and talent. Winbond is committed to developing innovative products and technologies and remains focused on the following issues:

  • Development of green products in Flash memory, Secure Flash memory, Specialty DRAM, and Mobile DRAM
  • Development and production processes of green products, along with achievements in carbon reduction and energy saving
  • Key technology development focusing on high performance, small size, low energy consumption, high quality, and security
  • Refinement in design and process miniaturization
  • Innovation and intellectual property management
Key TechnologyHIghlight ProductsApplication
Low-Power NOR Flash Memory
  • 1.2V Flash Memory
    • Winbond launched the market's first 1.2V 64Mb SpiNOR Flash Memory:
      W25Q64NE
    • 128Mb and 256Mb are expected to be launched in 2024
  • Wearable devices and other low-power demand application products
  • Meets the low operating voltage requirements of advanced processes, eliminating the need for Power Management IC (PMIC), further reducing costs and minimizing sizes
High-performance NAND Flash Memory
  • 8-Channel NAND Flash (Octal NAND)
    • Winbond’s 46nm serial NAND Flash Memory technology, introduces the first
      high-speed NAND Flash Memory in the market to support 8-channel input and
      output
    • Supports products that require higher capacity and higher transfer speed
  • Automotive electronics (e.g. dashboard and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems…etc.) can meet the requirement of rapid firmware startup and quick updates
  • Smart visual doorbells can meet the application demands for fast startup detection.
Secure Flash Memory
  • Anti-quantum computing attack. Integrating PQC (Post-Quantum Computing Cryptography) Leighton-Micali (LMS) algorithm
    • Supports asymmetric key encryption algorithm (LMS：Leighton-Micalia), enabling devices to achieve secure OTA through LMS-OTS (one-time signature) specified by NIST800-208
    • The component supports a high-performance Quad-SPI interface of 166MHz, expands the support of Replay-Protected Monotonic Counter (RPMC), increases to 8 counters, and is suitable for security enhancement and data protection of personal computers (UEFI and BIOS).
  • The first memory supplier to integrate the LMS algorithm, meeting emerging security regulatory requirements and setting new standards in the industry. Optimized for industrial IoT, network, server, and critical infrastructure applications.
Low-Power Mobile Memory
  • 1.2V Low Voltage Mobile Memory
    • Compared to traditional SDRAM/DDR 3.3V, HyperRAM 1.8V operating power is only 25%.
    • The new generation of HyperRAM operating voltage is further reduced to 1.2V, further reducing 33% power consumption, prolong usage time of wearable devices. 
  • Digital wearables devices, IoT devices, and digital meters and
    other related products.

Code Storage Flash Memory

 

As a leading manufacturer of Flash memory, Winbond continuously strives to reduce product manufacturing carbon footprints and energy consumptions. Taking Winbond's NOR Flash as an example, with the evolution of processes to the new generation 58 and 45 nanometers products, the area of a single chip has been significantly reduced. Additionally, the new generation products also support smaller packaging types, greatly reducing the carbon footprint of Flash products in wafer manufacturing and packaging stages. For instance, in the new generation 58nm RV series, the 8Mb 3V NOR Flash has reduced the chip area by 60% compared to products with the same capacity at 90nm, and it can also support smaller XSON packaging. Ultimately, the carbon footprint is reduced by 34% compared to the 90nm DV series.

1.2 NOR Flash
Total Powe Consumption
45% less power consumed compared to the 1.8V NOR Flash in mainstream use today


In the scenario of daily operation for 8 hours in a true wireless application environment, with the total sales volume of
1.2V NOR Flash in 2023, compared to 1.8V NOR Flash, approximately 1,160,785 kWh of power consumption is saved,
with an equivalent of 4,178,826 MJ. This saving is roughly equivalent to reducing 574.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide
emissions, which is also approximately equivalent to the carbon absorption capacity of 1.49 Daan Forest Parks

(Based on the data from the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Department of Land Administration of the Taipei City Government: Daan Forest Park annually absorbs approximately 386 tCO2e).

PerformanceMaintains similar transition level as 1.8V/3V Flash
ApplicationWireless headphones, smart watches, smart wristbands, smart glasses, and other wearable devices with high power-saving requirements

Specialty DRAM and Mobile RAM

 

In 2022, Winbond launched the HyperRAM 3.0. This series of products is ideal for use in low power consumption IoT devices such as wearable devices. It is able to support voice control and tinyML calculations, and can also be used in vehicle dashboards, entertainment systems, machine vision, HMI displays, and communications modules. To meet the emerging consumer trends of low-power wearable and smart devices, Winbond launched the HyperRAM 3.1 product series in 2023, featuring low voltage and small size packaging options such as the 1.2V WLCSP and 1.35V BGA49.  The ultra-low power performance of this series effectively extends battery life. Leveraging the low power advantage of HyperRAM 3.1, it is applied in wearable smart sports and lifestyle products. Its 16-bit interface accelerates data transfer rates, speeding up the loading and transmission of high-resolution images. This sets new benchmarks in low power consumption, smart processing, and UI display fields, providing customers with simplified, competitive, and long-lasting battery life smart wearable design solutions.


Through technological advancements, the power consumption of JEDEC standard DDR3 Specialty DRAM, which is widely used in various products, is reduced. In addition, Winbond continues to expand its product lines to meet the needs of various applications, such as DDR4 and higher bandwidth and speed ASIC DRAM products, applied in networking and emerging artificial intelligence applications.

 

HyperRAM™ 3.1

The 3.1 generation of our HyperRAM ™ products utilizes the all-new 16-bit extended Hyper-BusTM interface, supporting data transfer speeds up to 1 GBps through the same commands, bit address signals, and data bus format. It features the same standby power consumption, and only requires an adjustment to a small number of signal pins. The product also features a higher frequency.

 

HyperRAM Form Factor

Winbond initially introduced the BGA 24 6x8mm² package in the new HyperRAM™ series, which, compared to SDRAM's BGA 54, reduces carbon emissions by 10%. In 2023, Winbond continued to improve packaging types and introduced the BGA 49 size, which
supports a 16-bit data width. Furthermore, the size was reduced to 4x4mm², resulting in a 20% reduction in carbon emissions compared to BGA 54.

 

DDR3

Shrinking from 25snm to 20nm, Operating efficiency goes up with each technology node, and our 2Gb DDR3 products have 10% reduced power consumption. Winbond has continued to supply DDR3 products, making sure to satisfy long-term customer demand.

Secure Flash Memory

 

"Security" is not only a technical issue but also a societal and ethical one. Security has significant impacts on the welfare and rights of society, economy, environment, individuals, and organizations, especially in today's digital transformation era and the economic losses and security threats caused by hackers through security vulnerabilities. Security ensures the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data, information, and assets, preventing unauthorized access, modification, or destruction. Security also enables trust, privacy, and compliance in various sectors such as finance, healthcare, education, and government. However, security is not a one-time task or a static state. It requires continuous monitoring, updating, and improvement to address evolving challenges and risks. Security involves multiple layers, from hardware to software, from networks to the cloud, from users to devices. Therefore, security requires a comprehensive approach covering all aspects of systems and their environments.


Winbond recognizes the severity of these challenges and has pioneered the development and launch of the TrustME® Secure Flash Memory product line. Secure memory is used to store sensitive data and code such as encryption keys, passwords, certificates, and firmware. Secure memory ensures that data and code are protected from unauthorized access, modification, or leakage both physically and logically. Secure memory also provides functions such as encryption, authentication, tamper detection, and self-destruction to enhance security levels and prevent attacks. These cutting-edge solutions are designed to protect Winbond customers' assets and create secure platforms, thus safeguarding end-users in various fields. Winbond’s secure Flash memory is applied in consumer IoT, industrial IoT, servers, networks, and automotive sectors. Winbond is committed to protecting customers from emerging cybersecurity threats. In anticipation of the upcoming post-quantum computing era, Winbond recently launched secure Flash memory enhanced with post-quantum encryption technology (PQC), ensuring that customers continue to enjoy robust protection in the evolving cybersecurity environment.

TrustME® Secure Serial Flash Memory
W75F
TrustME® Secure Serial Flash Memory 
W77Q / W77T
The W75F memory series was developed in response to the high security identify verification needs of mobile payment services and other applications, and due to confidential data storage requiring encrypted system hardware modules to possess
EAL 5+ security certification. Products in the W75F series are the first secure Flash memory solution in the world to obtain Common Criteria (CC) EAL 5+ certification. They also support secure eXecute-in-Place (XiP), and are able to protect the confidentiality and integrity of codes and data stored in IoT devices.		The W77Q and W77T, compatible with traditional SPI specifications, offer essential security features for IoT endpoints, automotive, networks, and other types of connected devices. These features include hardware root of trust, secure boot, platform resilient, supply chain security confirmation, and robust data protection. Even if the host processor is compromised, the W77Q and W77T facilitate secure over-the-air software updates.

Green Innovation Research and Development

 

Predicting market trends for the new generation of products, Winbond has continuously invested resources into semiconductor design, manufacturing technologies, and sustainable innovations for products, creating competitive advantages and increasing market share for our green products. At the same time, Winbond has provided high quality products and services for our customers, whose needs Winbond has placed first.

Winbond green product development: Design considerations that take into account the product life cycle and reducing carbon emissions.

Semiconductor Industrial Chain

 

Winbond possesses an advanced and complete semiconductor industrial chain and professional specialization. This includes IP (Intellectual Property Rights) design and IC (Integrated Circuit) design, wafer fabrication, chip probing, and backend packaging and testing. Additionally, Winbond has been deeply involved in the KGD (Known Good Die) field for many years, working together with chip factories to provide SiP (System in Package) multichip packaging solutions and creating more value in collaboration with the semiconductor industrial chain.

Note:
  1. System in Package (SiP): From a packaging perspective (downstream of the semiconductor industrial chain), this term refers to arranging multiple chips in series or in a stack, creating a single packaged electronic element.
  2. Known Good Die (KGD): Refers to wafers which are not immediately packaged after being manufactured, but instead provided to customers and packaged into a single chip along with other products. Rigorous product quality standards thus need to be met for these products, in order to ensure that the functions of the final product would not be affected.

Intellectual Property Management

2023 Patent results

 
Patent applications
  • Cumulative number of worldwide patent applications exceed 6,500.
  • Apply 380 patent applications in 2023.
  • Ranking 23th in the TIPO Top 100 Patent Applications
 
Patents granted
  • Cumulative number of worldwide granted patents exceed 4,900.
  • 390 Global Patents granted in 2023.
  • Ranking 23th in the TIPO Top 100 Patent Applications

Note: Data sourced from the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Intellectual Property Office

Intellectual property (IP) are important assets for maintaining corporate sustainability. In order to protect the research and development resources and results invested by Winbond, Winbond has established IP policies in line with the Winbond’s operating goals. By institutionalized IP management, Winbond nurturs a coporate culture of innovation and strengthens the IP protection awareness of employees. Winbond encourages the continuous innovation and IP right creation of our employees during the course of work which strengthens the sustainable competitive advantages.

 

Promotion of Trade Secret Registration System


Since 2022, Winbond has included trade secrets as part of its intellectual property management strategy, and has integrated technical content from its existing systems into the trade secret registration system, transforming it into a library of technical and innovative knowledge, where the company's competitive trade secrets are securely stored. In 2023, the total number of registered cases exceeded 11,000.


Officially implemented the Taiwan Intellectual Property Management System (TIPS) in 2023


In 2023, Winbond officially introduced the Taiwan Intellectual Property Management System (TIPS) and obtained class-A certification. By implementing TIPS, Winbond formulated intellectual property policies and objectives aligned with its operational goals, fostering an innovative culture within the company and enhancing employees' awareness of intellectual property protection. This initiative encourages employees to continuously innovate and produce high-quality intellectual property, thereby strengthening Winbond's sustainable competitive advantage.

Intellectual Property Management Plan and Implementation

2023 Intellectual Property Management Plan and Implementation

Winbond passed the verification of the Taiwan Intellectual Property Management Standard (TIPS) on November 30, 2023. The certificate is valid until December 31, 2024.

 

Digital Transformation

 

From 2020 onwards, Winbond has been pushing for the Company to undergo a full digital transformation. Winbond has established the Digital Transformation Committee for Business (DTCB) and the Digital Transformation for Manufacturing (DTCM), which are responsible for driving the digital transformation of our business, production, and manufacturing operations. The President shall regularly convene meetings to discuss the progress being made by these Committees. Additionally, senior management shares articles on digital transformation each week; and our human resources departments have invited external speakers to provide training related to digital transformation. Winbond has also established a platform for internal collaborations. The adoption of digital technologies and tools for digital transformation has become the core system for Winbond's intelligent operations.

Digital Power × Productivity: "Digital Transformation" Becomes the Core Competitiveness of Enterprises


DTCB (Digital Transformation for Business)

Project

Description

Benefits

Employee service refactoring200 services applied by employee were integrated into 19 business modules, and 120 services. The purpose is to improve employee work efficiency, enhance employee participation in the enterprise, and simplify a series of affairs related to human resources and daily work.
  • 99% Acceptance rate of the new user interface 
  • Improved around 175 business functions and processes
  • Saved around 83 labor cost annually
  • Rewrote around 120 services with main IT technology
Introduction of Microsoft Dynamic
365 to improve customer relationship
management process		Integrate sales forecasts, quotations, monthly performance achievement rates, market size assessments, and business opportunity registrations into a unified platform for management.
  • Enhances customer and agent maintenance, sales forecast maintenance, and the productivity of production-sales collaboration
  • Easy access to comprehensive facts and insights for customers and sales
  • Achieves a complete closed loop in marketing behavior, accurately sets targets in sales behavior, and quotes
  • Understands relevant performance execution status and business grasp and makes judgments for improvement
Intelligence cost-analysis platform
(GM Simulation Platform)		Simulate and estimate the cost of different processes, obtain the cost structure and gross profit information of the product in real-time, and propose improvement points to optimize the cost structure.
  • More than 2,000K simulation reference data are used for gross margin simulation and analysis.
  • Real-time presentation of detailed cost structure items, achieving price setting and reducing test time goals
  • Users can create personal simulation databases and iterate simulation optimization of cost structures through association
  • Establishes a permission management model that complies with information security regulations
Electronize Inventory OperationPerform annual inventory operations through the platform
  • More than 2,000K simulation reference data are used for gross margin simulation and analysis
  • Real-time presentation of detailed cost structure items, achieving price setting and reducing test time goals
  • Users can create personal simulation databases and iterate simulation optimization of cost structures through association
  • Establishes a permission management model that complies with information security regulations

Utilizing industrial AI (Artificial Intelligence) technology to promote the application of smart manufacturing.


DTCM (Digital Transformation for Manufacturing) 
Four Major Digital Transformation SystemsExplanation of system usageResults
Flaws and yield analysis systemConsolidates measurement data from various module machines online, helping the research and development department analyze and make connections between data on development operations, analyzing and consolidating data with high efficiency.
  • Greatly reduce information analysis times.
  • Increase engineer productivity.
  • Improved analysis system helps engineers increase data analysis efficiency by 50%.
Automated engineering reports systemRapidly and automatically looks up and consolidates measurement data online.
  • Effectively supports information processing operations.
  • Helps the research and development team analyze and weigh experiment conditions, continuously optimizing the process.
  • Automated system helps engineers more efficiently create engineering reports, increasing productivity by 80%.
Digitalize and standardize online measurement and electrical dataHelps Winbond employees make adjustments based on data to production module conditions when necessary to meet requirements.
  • Greatly improves the prediction and analysis of the key electrical properties of memory elements.
  • Allows for good predictions to be made for key parameters.
  • System able to improve productivity by 15%.
Memory element reliability analysis systemEffectively consolidates and organizes massive amounts of measurement data, discovering the optimal operating parameters for use in product CP/FT testing.
  • Greatly increases the data analysis speeds of our engineers.
  • System able to improve data analysis productivity by 70%.