Crocus Technology#Products and technologies
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{{Infobox company
| name = Crocus Technology International Corporation
| logo = Crocus-logo-hd.png
| logo_size = 200px
| type = Private
| foundation = {{Start date and age|2004}}
| location = Milpitas, California, USA
| num_locations = * Milpitas, California
| num_employees = ~75
| key_people = Zack Deiri, (President & CEO)
Ken Mc Kay, (VP Tech. Development)
Jeff Childress, (CTO)
Anuraag Mohan, (VP Applications)
| industry = Semiconductors
| products = Integrated magnetic sensors for industrial, automotive, and consumer applications.
| homepage = {{URL|http://crocus-technology.com}}
| owner = {{ubl|Independent {{smaller|(2004–23)}}|Allegro MicroSystems {{smaller|(2023–present)}}}}
}}
Crocus Technology, founded in 2004, was a venture-capital-backed semiconductor startup company developing and manufacturing integrated magnetic field sensors for a variety of applications: Automotive, consumer goods, industrial and medical IoT.
History
Crocus Technology was founded at Grenoble in 2004, based on research at the Spintec laboratory.Mark LaPedus, It eventually moved its headquarters to Santa Clara, California, but retained its engineering base in Grenoble.
Later in its existence, the company focused its activities entirely on integrated, high-performance magnetic sensors. In 2022, it moved its California Headquarters from Santa Clara to Milpitas.
On October 31, 2023, Allegro MicroSystems completed the acquisition of the company for $420 million in cash.{{Cite web|url=https://investors.allegromicro.com/news-releases/news-release-details/allegro-microsystems-completes-acquisition-crocus-technology/|title=Allegro MicroSystems Completes Acquisition of Crocus Technology to Accelerate Innovation in TMR Sensing Technology|work=Allegro MicroSystems|access-date=2023-11-25|language=en-US}}
Products
The company initially developed its MLU™ (Magnetic Logic Unit™) technology for stand-alone and embedded spintronic MRAM.{{cite web|access-date=2024-07-02 |date=2011-12-12 |title=Magnetic Momentum |publisher=eejournal.com |url=https://www.eejournal.com/article/20111212-crocus/}} In 2015, Crocus Technology introduced its first magnetic sensor product based on its technology.{{cite web|access-date=2024-07-02 |date=2023-08-08 |title=Allegro MicroSystems to Acquire Crocus for $420M |publisher=eetimes.eu |url=https://www.eetimes.eu/allegro-microsystems-to-acquire-crocus-for-420m/}} The company further sold magnetic field sensors as well as sensors for flexible displays based on the technology.{{cite web|access-date=2024-07-02 |date= |title=Measure Current or Linear Position with Contactless Magnetic Field Sensor |publisher=designworldonline.com |url=https://www.designworldonline.com/measure-current-linear-position-contactless-magnetic-field-sensor/}}{{cite web|access-date=2024-07-02 |date= |title=Crocus MLU sensors aim to put more 'flex' into flexible displays |publisher=semiconductor-digest.com |url=https://sst.semiconductor-digest.com/2014/11/crocus-mlu-sensors-aim-to-put-more-flex-into-flexible-displays/}}
Crocus offered magnetic switches, magnetic latches and angle sensors that are based on the TMR effect.{{cite web|access-date=2024-07-02 |date=2022-04-21 |title=New industrial TMR angular sensor |publisher=arrow.com |url=https://www.arrow.com/en/research-and-events/articles/new-industrial-tmr-angular-sensor}}
Patents
In intellectual property, the company possesses 154 patents supporting its products, relating to TMR technology, memory and sensor design.
Joint ventures
On June 18, 2009, Crocus Technology announced a partnership with an integrated circuit specialty foundry Tower Semiconductor. As part of the deal, both companies will dedicate special equipment to Tower's factory, and Tower will fully manufacture Crocus’ technology in its 200mm Fab2 facility. Tower took a $1.25 million equity position in Crocus.{{Cite news |title= Tower invests in Crocus, tips MRAM foundry deal |author= Mark LaPedus |date= June 18, 2009 |work= EE Times |url= http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1171188 |accessdate= July 10, 2013 }}
Investors
Other investors included Idinvest Partners,[http://www.idinvest-partners.com/en/ "Idinvest Partners"]. 2011. Retrieved July 18, 2011. CDC Innovation,[http://www.cdcinnovation.com/index.php/ "CDC Innovation"]. 2011. Retrieved July 18, 2011. Enterprises et Patrimonies,[http://www.holdingentreprisesetpatrimoine.com/ “Entreprises et Patriomoine”] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120328110043/http://www.holdingentreprisesetpatrimoine.com/ |date=2012-03-28 }}. 2011. Retrieved Aug. 2, 2011. Nano Dimension,[http://www.nanodimension.com/ "NanoDimension"]. 2011. Retrieved July 20, 2011. Sofinnova Partners, Sofinnova Ventures, and Ventech.
References
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Category:2004 establishments in California
Category:2023 disestablishments in California
Category:2023 mergers and acquisitions
Category:American companies established in 2004
Category:American companies disestablished in 2023
Category:Companies based in Santa Clara, California
Category:Computer companies established in 2004
Category:Computer companies disestablished in 2023
Category:Computer memory companies
Category:Defunct computer companies of the United States
Category:Defunct computer hardware companies
Category:Defunct semiconductor companies of the United States