Collaboration by semiconductor manufacturers is nothing new, but one type of collaboration is bringing foundries closer together than ever before. IBM, Chartered Semiconductor and Samsung Electronics are synchronising their 300mm fabrication facilities at the 90, 65 and 45nm nodes, to provide cross-foundry manufacturing capability. The arrangement caters to the needs of customers with very high volumes of complex products, such as Qualcomm, which has just used the service for its 90nm socs for mobile communications. Known as the Common Platform, the approach means that customers aren’t tied to single vendor and can source an identical part from any one of several manufacturing facilities.
Commented Ana Molnar Hunter, vice president of technology for Samsung Semiconductor, which joined the initiative in 2004: “Collaborative innovation means the sharing of intellectual capital as well as physical capital, of people as well as dollars. IBM, Chartered and Samsung all benefit from added capacity for manufacturing, and accelerated learning and yield ramps lead to cost benefits from both clients and partners. The Common Platform works because all parties benefit by getting products to market faster at reduced cost.”
In related news, Arm is licensing its low power Metro and high performance Advantage products from its Artisan physical IP family to the Common Platform initiative, for its 45nm low power process.
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