Posted: June 3, 2009 |
IMEC expands partnership with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company |
(Nanowerk News) IMEC, Europe’s leading independent nanoelectronics research center on leading-edge process technology for the next generations of IC manufacturing, has signed a new and expanded research agreement with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world’s leading semiconductor foundry. TSMC will also base its extended European research efforts at the IMEC premises.
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Under the agreement, TSMC extends its collaboration with IMEC as a core partner which dates back from 2005. Within IMEC’s core partner program the world-leading foundries, IDMs, fabless and fablite companies, and material and equipment suppliers collaborate on research and development, for 22nm and beyond, IC process technologies.
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As part of TSMC’s global effort to strongly expand its R&D, including an expansion of research in Europe, TSMC decided to base its European R&D at the IMEC facilities. In this way, TSMC can benefit from IMEC’s state-of-the-art clean room infrastructure which is currently been expanded to house the most advanced –often preproduction- semiconductor manufacturing tools, allowing to research technologies ahead of industrial needs. IMEC and its members can benefit from TSMC’s broad-based technology roadmap and platform expertise, customers, suppliers, and ecosystem partners.
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“This agreement with TSMC represents an extension of our long-term strategic and fruitful partnership. We are proud that TSMC joins forces with IMEC to strengthen their global R&D. This proves the industrial importance of our semiconductor scaling research. We are confident that IMEC’s joint research model will contribute to TSMC’s approach ‘collaborate to innovate’;” said Luc Van den hove, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of IMEC.
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“TSMC strives for innovation through collaboration to provide competitive technology and value to its customers. The expansion of the partnership between IMEC and TSMC underscores TSMC's commitment to increasing R&D for the future.” said Jack Sun, vice president of R&D at TSMC.
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