Infineon’s December 2000 commitment of $30 million to Ramtron was a strategic minority investment, not a takeover bid. Contemporary reports described a roughly 20% stake, funded with cash and Infineon shares, alongside a reciprocal technology cross-license focused on ferroelectric RAM (FRAM). Later company filings record the acquisition and its accounting in 2001, so the announcement date and financial-reporting dates should not be treated as identical.
What Infineon agreed to pay
In December 2000, trade publications reported that Infineon would invest $30 million for approximately 20% of Ramtron. EDN reported that the consideration comprised $10 million in cash and $20 million in Infineon stock, with Ramtron issuing approximately 4.43 million shares in two stages. EE Times also described the deal as an approximately 20% stake purchased with cash and Infineon shares. EDN’s December 18, 2000 report and EE Times’ December 14, 2000 report covered the announcement.
The equity investment was only one part of the arrangement. The companies also agreed to a cross-license: Infineon gained access to Ramtron’s FRAM technology, while Ramtron gained access to certain Infineon FRAM fabrication technologies. Infineon’s 2001 annual report describes the reciprocal technology access.
Why the dates and reported amounts differ
The December 2000 date belongs to the public announcement. Infineon’s financial statements describe the later acquisition and accounting for the stake, and they do not use one identical date and amount across every report.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
#1 Best Overall
- 2.4GHz Dual Mode WiFi + Bluetooth Development Board
- Support LWIP protocol, Freertos
- SupportThree Modes: AP, STA, and AP+STA
- Ultra-Low power consumption, Compatible with Arduino IDE
- ESP32 is a safe, reliable, and scalable to a variety of applications
| Source and period | Reported transaction detail |
|---|---|
| EDN and EE Times, December 2000 | $30 million commitment for approximately 20%; $10 million cash and $20 million in Infineon shares. EDN reported approximately 4.43 million Ramtron shares. |
| Infineon 2001 annual report | Acquisition in February 2001 of approximately 20% for approximately $30 million, including shares valued at €20.8 million. |
| Infineon 2002 Form 20-F | Acquisition in March 2001 of a 20.1% interest for €31 million: 443,488 ordinary shares and €11 million cash. |
The differences reflect the sources’ respective descriptions of the announcement, acquisition timing, share consideration, and financial reporting. They should be attributed rather than collapsed into a single supposedly exact date or currency conversion. The 2002 Form 20-F is Infineon’s filing for its fiscal reporting.
Why FRAM was strategically relevant
FRAM, or ferroelectric RAM, is nonvolatile memory: it retains stored data when power is removed. The cross-license gave each company access to technology relevant to developing and manufacturing this kind of memory, making the deal more than a straightforward purchase of shares.
Rank #2
- 2.4GHz Dual Mode WiFi + Bluetooth Development Board
- Support LWIP protocol, Freertos;ESP32 is a safe, reliable, and scalable to a variety of applications
- SupportThree Modes: AP, STA, and AP+STA
- Ultra-Low power consumption, Compatible with Arduino IDE
- 1PCS 30Pin ESP32 Development Board 2.4GHz WiFi Dual Cores Microcontroller Integrated with Antenna RF Low Noise Amplifiers Filters
A 2000 account in The Register listed power meters, smart cards, test instrumentation, factory automation, laser printers, and security systems as potential FRAM applications at the time. That list is historical context, not a current market-adoption estimate. At the time of the announcement, Infineon memory executive Harald Eggers said FRAM technology had matured significantly over the prior year and that the company saw promise for it in the semiconductor market, as reported by EE Times.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What happened to the investment later
Accounting write-down in fiscal 2002
Infineon’s 2002 Form 20-F recorded a €9 million impairment charge related to the Ramtron investment in fiscal 2002, saying the decline in market value was considered other than temporary. That is evidence of a financial write-down; it does not, by itself, show that the technology collaboration ended. Infineon’s filing reports the charge.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteRank #3
- Powerful ESP-32 Board: Unlock the world of Internet of Things (IoT) and advanced electronics with the heart of this kit: the ESP-32 board. It features a powerful dual-core processor, integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2, making it perfect for building connected, smart devices that communicate with your phone or the cloud. It's fully compatible with the Arduino IDE for easy programming.
- Super Starter Kit: This kit contains over 35 different modules and electronic components, including sensors, displays, motors, and input devices. From LEDs and buttons to an OLED screen, servo motor, and keypad, you have everything needed to explore a vast range of projects in one box.
- Step by Step Online Tutorial: Jump right in with our detailed, beginner-friendly tutorial. Access 30+ projects with complete code, clear circuit diagrams, and step-by-step instructions. Learn the fundamentals of electronics, coding, and how to utilize the ESP-32's unique capabilities without any prior experience.
- Hands-on Learning for All Skill Levels: Perfect for students, makers, engineers, and hobbyists. Start with basic circuits and coding, then progress to intermediate and advanced IoT applications. Build practical projects like weather stations, smart home controllers, remote-controlled devices, and interactive gadgets. The skills you learn are the foundation for real-world innovation.
- Quality & Great Support: Elegoo is committed to quality. We provide a clear, detailed tutorial guide, refined code, and a well-organized component kit. All modules are carefully selected for reliability and ease of use. Our dedicated technical support team and active online community are ready to help you succeed in your learning journey.
Transfer to Qimonda in the memory-business carve-out
In a 2006 SEC filing, Infineon said it had not acquired its original Ramtron stake with the intention of taking control. It also reported that the Ramtron shares and warrant were contributed to Qimonda as part of the carve-out of substantially all of Infineon’s Memory Products business. The filing reported Qimonda beneficial ownership of approximately 19.2%, based on Ramtron management’s share-count representation as of August 4, 2006. These are later ownership details, not terms of the 2000 investment. The 2006 Schedule 13D/A provides that account.
Ramtron and later memory-business transactions
A 2012 joint release filed with the SEC described Cypress’s Ramtron transaction as valued at approximately $109.8 million, excluding assumed debt and options and including shares Cypress had already acquired. That later transaction is separate from Infineon’s investment. The 2012 release states the transaction valuation and qualifications.
Rank #4
- High-performance foundation line, ARM Cortex-M4 core with DSP and FPU, 512 Kbytes Flash, 180 MHz CPU, ART Accelerator, Dual QSPI
- On-board ST-LINK/V2-1 debugger/programmer with SWD connector
- Can be powered from USB
- Three LEDs, Two Push-buttons
- Support of wide choice of Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) including IAR, ARM Keil, GCC-based IDEs
Much later, on September 16, 2026, Infineon announced an agreement for Winbond to acquire its NOR Flash and F-RAM business in an all-cash transaction valued at $1.12 billion on a cash- and debt-free basis. Infineon said it would retain other specialty memory solutions, including SRAM, HYPERRAM, nvSRAM, and radiation-hardened SONOS memory. This is an announced agreement; the announcement alone does not establish that the transaction has closed. Infineon’s September 16, 2026 announcement gives the stated terms.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- with pre-soldered header Raspberry Pi Pico. RP2040 microcontroller chip designed by Raspberry Pi in the United Kingdom
- Dual-core Arm Cortex M0+ processor, flexible clock running up to 133 MHz. 264KB of SRAM, and 2MB of on-board Flash memory.
- Castellated module allows soldering direct to carrier boards. USB 1.1 with device and host support. Low-power sleep and dormant modes. Drag-and-drop programming using mass storage over USB. 26 × multi-function GPIO pins.
- 2 × SPI, 2 × I2C, 2 × UART, 3 × 12-bit ADC, 16 × controllable PWM channels.Accurate clock and timer on-chip.Temperature sensor.
- Accelerated floating-point libraries on-chip.8 × Programmable I/O (PIO) state machines for custom peripheral support
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
