NEXFLASH ANNOUNCES 8 AND 16 MEGABIT SERIAL FLASH MEMORIES IN INDUSTRY'S SMALLEST PACKAGE

• New spiFlash Memories Support 50 Megahertz Clock Frequency
• Parameter Page Feature Eliminates Need for Serial EEPROM

SAN JOSE, Calif., USA - - Oct. 11, 2004
NexFlash Technologies, Inc., a pioneer in Serial Flash technology, today announced availability of the newest members of its spiFlash® line of Serial Flash memories, featuring the highest densities and clock frequency to date. The NexFlash spiFlash NX25P16 16-megabit (Mb) and 8Mb NX25P80 devices feature the popular Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), the industry's fastest clock speed of 50 megahertz, and an efficient new Parameter Page feature that can eliminate the need for a separate Serial EEPROM.

With the addition of the NX25P16 to the spiFlash line, NexFlash now offers the highest-density Serial Flash memory devices to be housed in an 8-pin SOIC package (less than one-half the space of other 16Mb SOIC packages). The NexFlash spiFlash family now features 1Mb, 2Mb, 4Mb, 8Mb and 16Mb Serial Flash memories, the only Serial Flash memory line with a common SOIC footprint from 1Mb to 16Mb. NexFlash also plans to add 32Mb and 64Mb densities in 2005. NexFlash spiFlash memories are ideal for Serial code-storage in DVD drives, wireless LANs, ADSL modems, printers, and other emerging applications.

"The trend towards replacing Parallel with Serial Flash for code-storage is gaining momentum," said Robin Jigour, vice president of marketing at NexFlash. Our spiFlash line is targeted at these emerging controller-based applications that are fueling the demand for Serial Flash with higher densities, fast clock rates and small packages. The market for Serial Flash memories is forecasted to grow from $375M in 2004 to over $1 billion in revenue by 2007*, we expect our spiFlash memories to become an integral factor in that market's growth by providing manufacturers with a wide array of density and packaging options."

Parameter Page Reduces Chip Count; Small Package Enables Common Footprint
The spiFlash NX25P16 and NX25P80 Serial Flash devices include a Parameter Page feature that provides an additional programmable "page" (256-bytes) separate from the main array. The page can be quickly erased and reprogrammed, making it suitable for storing configuration settings, serial numbers, code revisions and other parameter information commonly kept in small Serial EEPROMs. The feature can eliminate the need for an additional EEPROM in some systems, resulting in system space and cost savings.

While other Serial Flash manufacturers have moved to larger packages as memory densities ascend, NexFlash is offering higher-capacity devices in small eight-pin SOIC packages commonly used for lower densities. With similar packages across the range of densities, from 1Mb to 16Mb, manufacturers can utilize the same footprint and form factor as they upgrade designs.

"Eight- and 16-Mb Serial Flash memories are experiencing higher demand as original equipment manufacturers using Flash memory are understanding the benefits of smaller packaging, lower pin count and reduced system cost in offering Serial instead of parallel Flash devices for a wide range of applications, " said Alan Niebel of Web-Feet Research, a leading analyst of the memory-chip industry. "NexFlash is hitting on a critical segment of the market with the NX25P80 and NX25P16, as they fill the need for higher densities but maintain the small footprint."

The NX25P80 and NX25P16 are the newest members of NexFlash's successful spiFlash Serial Flash memory family, which feature the popular Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), fast clock speeds of up to 50MHz and industrial temperature operation. Introduced in 2003, the spiFlash line includes a range of density and packaging options, enabling designers to select the optimum memory for their Serial Flash application. Pin-compatible with other manufacturers' similar- and lower-capacity devices, the spiFlash line enables simple replacement of those devices, while adding unique NexFlash features to existing and new designs.

Availability, Pricing
The NX25P80 and NX25P16 are available in 8-pin 208mil SOIC, optional 6x5mm MLP (8Mb), 16-pin 300mil SOIC (16Mb) and 8x6mm MLP (16Mb) packages. Please contact NexFlash for lead-time and pricing.

About NexFlash
NexFlash Technologies, Inc. is a developer and provider of Serial Flash Memory products for today's emerging electronic applications. The company's spiFlash memories are tailored for serial code storage applications such as DVD/CD drives, hard disk drives, wireless LANs, network cards, DSL models, printers, set-top boxes, FPGAs and more. NexFlash was founded in October 1998 and is a partially owned subsidiary of Winbond Electronics Corp. NexFlash holds numerous patents on its technology and has established strategic alliances with Sharp Corporation and Winbond Electronics. For more information please visit the NexFlash Website at www.nexflash.com

* Source: Web-Feet Research

NexFlash and spiFlash are trademarks of NexFlash Technologies Inc.. All other product names that appear in this material are for identification purposes only and are acknowledged to be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.