Features - Storage Innovations:

AGERE SYSTEMS' TrueStore ENABLES BREAKTHROUGH

Agere Systems has announced its new read-channel integrated circuit (IC) specifically designed to enable the highest capacity desktop and mobile hard disk drives currently under development. This next-generation chip, the first in Agere's family of TrueStore components for storage applications, delivers increased functionality and signal integrity, driving higher levels of data storage capacity for disk drive manufacturers.

Agere's new TrueStore RC6500 read-channel is currently being designed in by major drive makers to significantly extend capacity beyond today's 80-Gigabyte-per-platter desktop drives and 40-Gigabyte-per-platter mobile drives. This chip raises the bar in drive storage capacity for single-or multi-platter solutions without sacrificing data path integrity.

"Our TrueStore read-channel exemplifies one of the key strengths Agere brings to the industry -- outstanding signal integrity," said Joe O'Hare, vice president of Agere's Storage Products division. "Agere is helping hard disk drive manufacturers meet increasing demand for low-cost, data-intensive storage solutions that support consumer PC applications such as interactive games and archiving compressed digital video, digital photos and MP3 music."

The TrueStore RC6500 read-channel enables high areal density -- the amount of data per square inch that can be reliably stored on a drive's magnetic platter -- through superior signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) performance. In addition, this read-channel is Agere's first to be manufactured using the industry-standard 130 nanometer complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process technology, allowing Agere to add more signal processing capabilities while maintaining small chip size and low power consumption.

A read-channel IC is the essential component for ensuring the accuracy of all of the data read from or written to a disk drive. As the industry continues to move to higher levels of chip integration, read-channels are the centerpiece for Agere's storage system-on-a-chip (SoC) designs, which incorporate other drive functions -- including an embedded microprocessor, memory and hard disk controller -- into a single integrated device.

Agere's read-channel technology is used by three of the top four leading hard disk drive manufacturers and, according to a recent report from analyst firm IDC, can be found in more than 40 percent of the world's disk drives. In 2002, Agere delivered more than 90 million chips using read channel technology for storage drives.

The TrueStore RC6500 read-channel offers numerous benefits for hard drive developers to improve capacity, ensure signal integrity and lower manufacturing costs:

• Signal-to-noise ratio leadership. Using an enhanced code design to reduce error propagation, this chip's SNR performance improvement offers increased data storage capacity beyond today's production drives. Agere has developed complex algorithms for optimized performance with a new 10-bit data-encoding interface, currently being employed in high-density hard disk drives to improve overall data quality. The error detection, increased digital filtering and adaptive equalization available with Agere read-channel ICs enhance the disk drive's ability to detect extremely weak data signals under very "noisy" conditions without compromising signal integrity. Agere's world-class SNR performance allows disk drive manufacturers to balance increased storage capacity with the use of less expensive heads and media in their drives. This chip targets desktop and mobile drives, operating at data rates up to 1.2 gigabits-per-second.
• Repeatable run-out improvement. The TrueStore RC6500 offers a 3.0 dB improvement in repeatable run-out, whereby the channel helps the servo system position the read/write heads more accurately. This increased precision contributes to higher areal density while reducing read "retries" due to poor tracking, resulting in improved data throughput and better overall drive optimization.
• Self-servo write capability. This enhancement allows the drive to write its own servo pattern used during read-write head positioning. By eliminating the need for costly servo track writers, self-servo write enables disk drive makers to realize substantial savings on their manufacturing capital costs.
• Perpendicular recording support. This technique significantly increases storage capacity for data-hungry applications such as digital multimedia and advanced computer operating systems. Agere's read channels, which were the first in the industry to support this recording technology, have been used in the most recent perpendicular recording demonstrations to set new areal density records.

The read-channel is available in low-cost 56- and 68-pin MLCC packages, which are thermally enhanced for improved power dissipation. Engineering samples of the RC6500 will be shipped to key customers in February, with production quantities expected in July 2003.

Along with read-channels, Agere's TrueStore portfolio of storage solutions will include next-generation versions of Agere's SoCs, hard-disk drive controllers, motor controllers, and preamplifiers. Agere's IC solutions deliver the performance required to meet the growing demand for storage capacity in applications ranging from traditional hard-disk drives for desktop PCs, laptops and servers, as well as for consumer products such as game consoles, personal video recorders, digital cameras, and MP3 players.

For more information, customers may visit Agere's Web site at www.agere.com or contact one of Agere's regional sales offices. Customers in the U.S. may also call the Agere Systems Customer Response Center at 800-372-2447. Customers in Canada may call 800-553-2448. Customers outside those countries may call 610-712-4323. Fax inquiries may be directed to 610-712-4106, or email queries to docmaster@agere.com. Written inquiries should be sent to Agere Systems, Room 10A-301C, 1110 American Parkway NE, Lehigh Valley Central Campus, Allentown, PA, 18109, USA.

Agere Systems is a premier provider of advanced integrated circuit (IC) solutions that access, move and store network information. Agere's IC solutions form the building blocks for a broad range of communications and computing applications. The company is the leader in providing storage solutions for hard disk drives with its read-channel chips, preamplifiers and system-on-a-chip solutions, and the No. 2 provider of Wi-Fi solutions for wireless LAN applications. For network equipment providers, Agere is a leading supplier of ICs for wired communications, network switching and access, and ATM and SONET/SDH solutions. In addition, Agere is the No. 2 supplier of application-specific ICs (ASICs) for communications applications. More information about Agere Systems is available from its Web site at www.agere.com/.

Contact: Glen Haley, 610-712-1747 -- office, 610-217-0781 -- cellular, glenhaley@agere.com.