Alcor Micro, a Taiwan-based design house of controller ICs used in input/output, multimedia and storage devices, will in June 2012 offer USB 3.0 controller ICs for use in flash drives through using USB 3.0 PHY IP developed by its subsidiary AlgolTek, according to industry sources.

Alcor currently has its controller ICs produced at 0.13-micron by China-based Semiconductor Manufacturing International and will soon shift to a 0.11-micron process, the sources indicated.

AlgolTek obtained USB-IF certification for its first USB 3.0 PHY IP for use in flash drives and PC peripherals in March 2012 and plans to offer SATA 6Gb/s PHY IP for use in SSDs, the sources pointed out.

While Intel's launch of Ivy Bridge processors is expected to drive demand for USB 3.0 in 2012, it will take three to four years for USB 3.0 to supersede USB 2.0, the sources cited AlgolTek as indicating. Two things are key to USB 3.0 PHY, one is compatibility with system products and the other is downward support of USB 2.0 and 1.1, the sources pointed out.

Phison Electronics, a Taiwan-based design house of flash controller ICs, will use in-house-developed USB 3.0 PHY IP to begin production of flash drive controller ICs based on 55nm technology in July 2012, the sources noted.