SEOUL, South Korea and CUPERTINO, Calif., Dec. 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- MagnaChip Semiconductor Corporation ("MagnaChip") (NYSE: MX), a Korea-based designer and manufacturer of analog and mixed-signal semiconductor products, today announced it has launched a research collaboration focused on developing innovative, cost-effective silicon magnetic bio-sensor technology capable of monitoring extremely rare cells in blood. The collaboration involves a team from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston, led by Hakho Lee, PhD, of the MGH Center for Systems Biology and Harvard Medical School, and the Pohang University of Science and Technology's Analog IC Systems Lab, led by Prof. Jae-Yoon Sim of the Electrical Engineering Department.

Based on its industry-leading 0.18 micron mixed-signal technology, MagnaChip is looking to extend high performance silicon magnetic sensor technology beyond current commercial applications. In collaboration with leading researchers, MagnaChip is focused on developing a novel bio-sensor platform that can enhance medical technology through cost-effective disease detection. "This joint development project will focus on early detection methods that leverage on advanced bio-sensor technologies thereby increasing the efficacy of research success," said Prof. Jae-Yoon Sim.

"We are very proud to be working with some of the world's best bio-sensor research teams. As a partner in this joint research, MagnaChip will apply its newly developed 0.18 micron silicon magnetic sensor technology to create single-chip sensor solutions. This will enhance performance and lower the cost of medical diagnosis and monitoring," said YJ Kim, MagnaChip interim CEO.

About MagnaChip Semiconductor 
Headquartered in South Korea, MagnaChip Semiconductor is a Korea-based designer and manufacturer of analog and mixed-signal semiconductor products for high volume consumer applications. MagnaChip Semiconductor believes it has one of the broadest and deepest ranges of analog and mixed-signal semiconductor platforms in the industry, supported by its 30-year operating history, a large portfolio of registered and pending patents, and extensive engineering and manufacturing process expertise. For more information, please visit www.magnachip.com.

SOURCE MagnaChip Semiconductor Corporation