The rapid expansion of feature sets in consumer products such as cell phones and PDAs is pushing the limits of embedded memories. Price pressure, the need for vendor IP and user data security, and performance requirements are forcing designers of consumer-product chips to evaluate both traditional and emerging memory technologies for their designs. This panel discusses the pros and cons of several existing memory technologies along with some up-and-comers targeted at future consumer appliances-handling communications and entertainment applications. Attendees will also learn about memory technology requirements for the rapidly evolving consumer chip market.

David Bursky Semiconductor Journalist

Mr. Bursky, the former semiconductor editor for EE Times, left the organization in October 2006 to become an independent journalist and freelance writer. He joined the publication in March 2006 after spending 33 years on the staff of Electronic Design magazine. During his tenure at Electronic Design, he served in many editorial positions, amassing 33 years of experience covering technology and product developments in the electronics industry. In 2005, he was inducted into the Communications Society Hall of Fame at the City College of New York. Mr. Bursky is one of several Electronic Design editors who have received the Jesse H. Neal Award for Editorial Excellence.

Douglas Holberg Vice President of Technology Silicon Laboratories

Dr. Holberg joined Silicon Laboratories as the director of engineering for MCU products when it merged with Cygnal Integrated Products in 2003. At Cygnal, Dr. Holberg was the vice president of engineering and chief technical officer. Prior to joining Cygnal, Dr. Holberg was the director of imaging and video products at Crystal Semiconductor, a division of Cirrus Logic. Dr. Holberg is a well-known integrated circuit design expert with years of practical industry experience. He is co-author of the textbook CMOS Analog Circuit Design. Dr. Holberg received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and his B.S.E.E. from Texas A&M University.

Rune Jensen Design Lead Microsoft

Mr. Jensen has 15 years of experience in IC design. Mr. Jensen has spent the past three years at Microsoft as a design lead on the Xbox360 and portable electronics programs. He has held various chip design, application engineering, and leadership positions for Philips Semiconductors, ReShape, and Microsoft. Mr. Jensen has a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Aalborg University in Denmark and a master's degree from National Microelectronics Research Center in Ireland.

Jay Luo Deputy Director, Design Technology Support and Marketing TSMC

Dr. Luo joined TSMC in 1999 and has been active in library and memory IP-related areas for the North America market. Prior to TSMC, he held several technical and managerial positions in semiconductor device modeling, optical electronics, integrated circuit design, and electronic design automation. Dr. Luo received his B.S. degree from National Taiwan University in 1985 and Ph.D. degree from the University of Florida in 1993, both in electrical engineering.

Charles Ng Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Marketing Kilopass Technology

Mr. Ng has more than 22 years of experience in the semiconductor industry. Prior to joining Kilopass, Mr. Ng held senior management and executive-level positions with Cadence Design Systems, Inc., Compass Design Automation, and VLSI Technology, Inc. Mr. Ng was the key contributor in establishing and expanding the business for these companies in North America, Japan, and the Asia-Pacific. He graduated from California Institute of Technology with a bachelor's degree in computer engineering and a master's degree in computer science, and he also holds an M.B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley.

Gerard Yeh Vice President, DTV VLSI Engineering Zoran Corporation

Dr. Yeh has 14 years of experience in engineering and management, including working in the area of digital television for the past 10 years. Previously, Dr. Yeh had worked in 3-D graphics and PC areas. His professional interests include video signal processing, computer graphics, and energy efficient circuits and systems. He graduated from the Stanford University with a doctorate and a master's degree in electrical engineering. He holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and computer science from the University of California at Berkeley.