Date: 22/06/2009

IBM technology alliance of semiconductor companies strengthens in size

The Japanese semiconductor biggies NEC Electronics and Toshiba have extended chip technology development agreements with IBM to get involved in the development of 28-nanometer (nm), high-k metal gate (HKMG), low-power chip technology geared for consumer and portable electronics gadgets.

NEC Electronics and Toshiba join the IBM technology alliance to develop a 28nm bulk complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process technology. The alliance, based at IBM's facility in East Fishkill, New York, now includes Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd., GLOBALFOUNDRIES, Infineon Technologies, NEC Electronics, Samsung Electronics, Co., Ltd., STMicroelectronics, and Toshiba.

Toshiba joined the IBM bulk semiconductor process technology development alliance in December 2007 and NEC Electronics joined in September 2008.


With NEC and Toshiba joining this growing alliance, this alliance capability is getting multiplied. Alliances such as this give very less opportunity for any new fab venture in the world. It's like raising a strong fort around present leading semiconductor fabs, making the entry into this fort highly challenging for newcomers and small size businesses. But it's only for the technologies, which are based on lithography. There are enough opportunities in nanotechnology to make devices from a different manufacturing methodology. Alliance such as these may only stop herd type technology followers but not the people who think beyond transistor.

Here are the comments by the executives from IBM, NEC Electronics and Toshiba on this alliance.

"NEC Electronics and Toshiba bring significant skills and resources that will help ensure development of an industry-leading 28nm technology offering," said Gary Patton, vice president for IBM's Semiconductor Research and Development Center. "Together, the alliance partners will deliver a high-performance, energy efficient technology to enable a full range of multifunction, power-sensitive mobile and consumer electronics."

"The advanced 28nm low-power process technology will dramatically enhance the product's density, performance, as well as power consumption compared to the former 40nm node, providing highly competitive solutions, especially in the fields of consumer electronics and automotive." said Masao Fukuma, senior vice president of NEC Electronics. "Utilizing this process technology with NEC Electronics' proprietary eDRAM, high-reliability, and low-power consumption technologies, we will focus on being the first to market with the SoC products that can meet our customers' expectations with added value."

"This alliance brings together industry leaders in advanced process technology," said Mr. Masakazu Kakumu, corporate vice president of Toshiba Corporation and vice president of Toshiba Semiconductor Company's System LSI Division. "The program supports our efforts to maximize R&D efficiency, and we will apply its results to offering our customers a new generation of high quality products delivering better performance with lower power consumption."