TSMC Plans 0.18æ Production By Early 1999
(12:00 p.m. EDT, 5/15/98)
By Mark LaPedus
pubs.cmpnet.com
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) Ltd. has officially rolled out its technology roapmap, announcing plans to offer a copper-metalization process while also becoming one of the world's first chip makers to move to 0.18-micron production by early-1999.
Hsinchu-based TSMC, the world's largest pure-play, IC-wafer foundry company, has taken an ambitious, quantum leap during the last several years, jumping from process technologies of 0.8-micron in the early-1990s, to 0.35-micron and below in 1997.
"We're in the process of ramping up our 0.25-micron process technology right now,'' according to Ron Norris, president of TSMC's U.S. subsidiary, based in San Jose, Calif. ''We will be 0.18-micron by the end of the first quarter of next year.''
Speaking at a press event in San Jose earlier this week, Norris said TSMC will continue to advance its foundry-based logic, mixed-signal, and embedded memory businesses. In the logic and memory arenas in 1999, for example, TSMC plans to offer to its foundry customers a 0.18-micron process technology at 1.8- to 3.3-v.
Another surprise is TSMC's move into the copper-metalization arena, a move that would give its foundry customers a major boost.
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