AIStorm’s charge domain AI-in-Sensor technology uses Tower Semiconductor’s Hi-K VIA capacitor memory to enable best-in-class, real-time machine learning for the $7B edge imager market.

HOUSTON & MIGDAL HAEMEK, Israel — (BUSINESS WIRE) — May 6, 2021 — AIStorm and Tower Semiconductor announced that AIStorm’s new AI-in-imager products will feature AIStorm’s electron multiplication architecture and Tower’s Hi-K VIA capacitor memory, instead of digital calculations, to perform AI computation at the pixel level. This saves on the silicon real estate, multiple die packaging costs, and power required by competing digital systems—and eliminates the need for input digitization. The Hi-K VIA capacitors reside in the metal layers, allowing the AI to be built directly into the pixel matrix without any compromise on pixel density or size.

Always-on imagers draw negligible power in idle mode until they detect specific situations, such as wake-up on, fingerprint, face, action, behavior, gesture, person, or a driving event. In addition, they perform machine learning within the device after wake-up, eliminating the need for additional components or co-packaged processors.

The AI edge market for deep-chip learning is expected to grow from $6.72 billion in 2022 to $66.3 billion by 2025. Next-generation handsets, IoT devices, cameras, laptops, VR, gaming devices, and wearables will directly benefit from AIStorm’s AI-in-sensor technology, which delivers superior cost and performance benefits, when compared to other AI edge solutions on the market.

“This new imager technology opens up a whole new avenue of always-on functionality. Instead of periodically taking a picture and interfacing with an external AI processor through complex digitization, transport and memory schemes, AIStorm’s pixel matrix is itself the processor & memory. No other technology can do that,” said Dr. Avi Strum, SVP of the sensors and displays business unit at Tower Semiconductor.

In existing solutions, AI processors usually reside outside the pixel matrix, which is why always-on imaging solutions need to continuously detect pixel changes and forward digital information to memory and an AI subsystem located outside the imager. The result is numerous false alerts and high power consumption. Additionally, whether GPU-based or PIM-based, significant silicon area is associated with memory storage, hence their high cost.

AIStorm’s solution is different. Electrons are multiplied directly instead of being converted to a digital number through the use of memory that is suspended above the silicon in the metals, a feature enabled by using Tower Semiconductor’s low-leakage VIA capacitor technology. This capability for local AI pixel coupling adds a new dimension to edge imaging, enabling an immediate, intelligent (AI) response to pixel changes for the first time.

To complement its hardware, AIStorm has built mobile models within the MantisNet & Cheetah product families that use the direct pixel coupling of the AI matrix to offer sub-100uW always-on operation with best-in-class latencies, and post wake-up processing of up to 200 TOPs/W.

About Tower Semiconductor

Tower Semiconductor Ltd. (NASDAQ: TSEM, TASE: TSEM), the leader in high-value analog semiconductor foundry solutions, provides technology and manufacturing platforms for integrated circuits (ICs) in growing markets such as consumer, industrial, automotive, mobile, infrastructure, medical and aerospace and defense. Tower Semiconductor focuses on creating positive and sustainable impact on the world through long-term partnerships and its advanced and innovative analog technology offering, comprised of a broad range of customizable process platforms such as SiGe, BiCMOS, mixed-signal/CMOS, RF CMOS, CMOS image sensor, non-imaging sensors, integrated power management (BCD and 700V), and MEMS. Tower Semiconductor also provides world-class design enablement for a quick and accurate design cycle as well as Transfer Optimization and development Process Services (TOPS) to IDMs and fabless companies. To provide multi-fab sourcing and extended capacity for its customers, Tower Semiconductor operates two manufacturing facilities in Israel (150mm and 200mm), two in the U.S. (200mm), and three facilities in Japan (two 200mm and one 300mm) through TPSCo. For more information, visit www.towersemi.com.

About AIStorm

AIStorm is the pioneer and leader in AI-in-Sensor charge domain processing, which eliminates the latency, power and cost associated with competitive AI solutions at the EDGE. AIStorm is headquartered in Houston, Texas, with offices in Graz, Austria; Budapest, Hungary; Chardon, Ohio; Nashua, New Hampshire; Toronto, Canada; and Hsinchu, Taiwan. For more information, visit aistorm.ai.

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AIStorm media contact:
Tim Cox, ZingPR
tim@zingpr.com

Tower Semiconductor media contact:
Orit Shahar
+972-74-7377440
oritsha@towersemi.com