Foundries News

• IBM announces new CMOS image sensor foundry offering (Wednesday Jul. 13, 2005)
  Industry-leading performance for high-volume consumer applications
  
  
• IBM to offer CMOS image sensor foundry services (Wednesday Jul. 13, 2005)
  IBM Corp. has announced it would make available availability of technology and manufacturing services for complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors for use in camera-phones, digital still cameras and other consumer products
  
  
• Atmel's 0.18 Micron Radiation Hardened ASIC Integrates up to 5.5 Million Usable Gates (Tuesday Jul. 12, 2005)
  Extends Integration Boundaries for Space Rad-hard Devices
  
  
• Shift to 65 nm has its costs (Monday Jul. 11, 2005)
  At the 2005 Symposium on VLSI Technology in Kyoto, Japan, Mark Pinto, chief technology officer at Applied Materials Inc., was asked if the design shift to the 65-nanometer node is occurring more slowly than past transitions
  
  
• TSMC and Kodak Sign License Agreement for CMOS Image Sensors (Friday Jul. 08, 2005)
  Key KODAK Technologies Expand TSMC Capabilities, Allow Manufacture of Next-Generation CMOS Image Sensors for Consumer Markets
  
  
• UMC Fabricates Record-Setting Voltage-Controlled Oscillator Using CMOS Technology (Monday Jun. 20, 2005)
  Chip designed by the University of Florida achieves 105-GHz Operating Frequency
  
  
• IBM Extends Industry Leading Custom Chip Technology to Embedded Devices (Monday Jun. 13, 2005)
  New Low Power ASIC Offering Delivers as Much as 30X Improvement in Standby Power Management
  
  
• TSMC Announce May 2005 Sales and Revise Upward 2Q2005 Guidance (Thursday Jun. 09, 2005)
  TSMC (TAIEX: 2330, NYSE: TSM) today announced that net sales for May 2005 totaled NT$19,508 million, and that revenues for January through May 2005 were NT$94,064 million
  
  
• TSMC Reference Flow 6.0 Opens Door to 65nm Design (Thursday Jun. 09, 2005)
  Features Unique Advances in Power Management through Methodology and Library Integration
  
  
• China to build 20 new fabs by 2008 (Thursday Jun. 09, 2005)
  In what could be the next boom for the IC-equipment industry, China is expected to build 20 new fabs between 2005 to 2008, according to a new report from the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) trade group on Thursday (June 9).
  
  
• SMIC Adds New Design Kit for its 0.18um CMOS Process for Use with Agilent Technologies'EDA Software (Thursday Jun. 09, 2005)
  The new kit contains sets of both passive and active elements, for simulation using ADS
  
  
• IBM, Chartered and Samsung Extend Common Design Enablement Platform for 65-Nanometer Base and Low-Power Processes (Tuesday Jun. 07, 2005)
  The agreement further reinforces the commitment to the common platform to enable design support for the jointly developed 65nm process technologies and enhance sourcing flexibility for 65nm customers
  
  
• UMC Celebrates 25th Anniversary (Wednesday Jun. 01, 2005)
  Leading semiconductor foundry continues with its tradition of technology leadership and innovative business strategies
  
  
• TSMC, UMC, start pushing out lead times (Tuesday May. 31, 2005)
  The top two foundries, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSMC) and United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC), have been lengthening lead times for their products as they increase their manufacturing capacity utilization rates due to increased orders
  
  
• Soon-to-be TSMC CEO offers viewpoint on TSMC, foundry market (Monday May. 30, 2005)
  Although Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) saw its share of the global foundry market slide to under 50% in the second half of 2004, the company has regained over half of the market and expects maintain its leading position in the market
  
  
• SMIC Beijing Secures Financing for Expansion (Thursday May. 26, 2005)
  The proceeds of the Loan will help to expand the capacity at SMIC’s three 300-mm fabs located in Beijing. SMIC will guarantee SMIC Beijing’s obligations under the Loan.
  
  
• SanDisk 2 GB Memory Stick PRO Gaming Card Uses Memory Controller Supplied by Tower Semiconductor (Thursday May. 26, 2005)
  The SanDisk memory controller is being manufactured in Tower's Fab 2 facility.
  
  
• Tower Semiconductor Announces First Quarter 2005 Results; Company Reinvigorated by New Leadership; Signed a Letter of Intent with Its Banks for up to $60 Million of Additional Funding, Half to Be from Investors (Thursday May. 26, 2005)
  Q2 Begins with New Customer Momentum; Tape-Outs Exceed Total for Second Half of '04
  
  
• IBM, Chartered Extend 90-Nanometer Common Platform with Low-Power Design Solutions, High-Speed Connectivity Cores (Wednesday May. 25, 2005)
  Addition of low-power library, reference flows, and critical cores enhances sourcing flexibility for leading-edge 90nm designs
  
  
• SMIC ARM926EJ Processor Chip Successfully Validated (Wednesday May. 25, 2005)
  This achievement reflects the growing collaboration between SMIC and ARM (LSE:ARM; Nasdaq:ARMHY), enabling SMIC to deliver more advanced and comprehensive chip manufacturing solutions to its customers
  
  
• Samsung Joins IBM and Chartered on 90-Nanometer Common Design-Enablement Platform (Tuesday May. 24, 2005)
  As a result of this license agreement, Samsung, IBM and Chartered can make available common foundry design kits and tests chips as well as work with design enablement parties to provide future third-party solutions, initially for the 90nm baseline and low
  
  
• IC manufacturing utilization dropped in Q1 (Tuesday May. 24, 2005)
  Amid a slowdown in the silicon foundry industry, the utilization rate of the world's wafer fabs fell for a third sequential quarter in the first quarter of 2005, according to the Semiconductor International Capacity Statistics (SICAS) group.
  
  
• LSI Logic Offers Unprecedented System Integration Within Smallest Package Form Factor (Thursday May. 19, 2005)
  Flexible Wafer-level Packaging Methodology Allows Same Silicon Design to Be Offered in Wire-bond or Flip-chip Bump Interconnect Format
  
  
• Atmel and Tower Semiconductor Announce Joint CMOS Image Sensor Technology and Product Development Agreement (Tuesday May. 17, 2005)
  Tower's 0.18-Micron Technology Will Be Used in Atmel's Next-Generation CMOS Image Sensor Products
  
  
• SMIC seeks $600 million loan in China after U.S. rejection (Friday May. 13, 2005)
  Unable to garner a loan from a U.S. lending institution, China's Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC) has now turned to the Chinese government for help
  
  
• TSMC Monthly Sales Report - April 2005 (Monday May. 09, 2005)
  TSMC (TAIEX: 2330, NYSE: TSM) today announced that net sales for April 2005 totaled NT$18,903 million, and that revenues for January through April 2005 were NT$74,556 million
  
  
• TSMC expands DFM recommendations at 90 nm (Monday May. 09, 2005)
  Six new guidelines, several of which were detailed here last week, build on those delivered at last year's symposium and extend to the 90-nm platform of the world's largest foundry, said James Wang, who heads TSMC's design-for-manufacturing (DFM) program
  
  
• April sales fall 30 percent year-on-year at UMC (Monday May. 09, 2005)
  April sales at foundry United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC) were down 9.1 percent compared with March and down 30.9 percent compared with April 2004, the company announced Monday
  
  
• Doubts remain about Chartered Semi's recovery (Friday May. 06, 2005)
  Doubts remain about Chartered Semi's recovery
  
  
• SMIC and UTAC to Establish Semiconductor Assembly and Testing Facility in China (Tuesday May. 03, 2005)
  SMIC will invest US$51 million through cash and own 51% of the joint venture company (“JV”) and UTAC will invest US$30 million through a combination of cash and other considerations including intellectual properties for a 30%-stake