TSMC Announces Support for High-Bandwidth Rambus Memory in Its 0.25-um Process Technology; Silicon-Verified RAC Accelerates Design Cycle
SAN JOSE, CALIF. (Jan. 25) BUSINESS WIRE -Jan. 25, 1999--Taiwan
Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC)(NYSE:TSM) today announced an
agreement to port the Rambus(R) ASIC Cell (RAC) to its 0.25-um logic
process.
The RAC offers superior performance and a high-bandwidth standard
interface for high-volume, low-cost memory controllers to the Rambus
800MHz memory. End product applications include main memory chip sets,
graphics controllers, multimedia controllers, peripheral controllers
and network switch controllers.
"Rambus memory technology is becoming a valued element in
high-performance systems," said Magnus Ryde, president, TSMC, USA. "As
a result of this agreement, TSMC's customers will be able to smoothly
integrate Rambus interface technology into their designs."
TSMC and Rambus plan to port the RAC to the TSMC 0.25-um logic process
by April this year for silicon verification and characterization.
Rambus will supply their common customers with RAC megacell for
incorporation into customer product designs for manufacture at TSMC.
Rambus Memory
The RAC offers unprecedented performance -- 1.6 Gbytes/sec -- even from
a single RDRAM(R) device. With its 800 Mbits per pin interface, the RAC
is the highest bandwidth industry standard interface available. A 64 MB
Rambus RIMM(TM) module is three times the performance of today's
highest performing PC100 SDRAM DIMM module.
"By teaming up with TSMC, we are able to broaden the market for
RDRAMs," said David Mooring, vice president and general manager for
Rambus's PC division. "Rambus' high-bandwidth memory interface,
combined with TSMC's high-quality volume production capabilities, will
facilitate wide-spread adoption and allow a variety of applications to
perform at higher speeds."
Over 50 companies support Rambus system components, including RDRAMs,
modules, connectors, clock chips and production test systems. Rambus
memory is expected to become the industry standard by the end of 1999.
About Rambus
Rambus Inc. develops high-speed interface technology that allows DRAMs
and controllers or processors to transfer data at 800MHz over a
two-byte wide channel supporting up to 1.6 gigabytes per second
throughput.
Rambus DRAMs are designed for low-cost, high volume manufacturing and
use standard CMOS processing, plastic packages and conventional printed
circuit board technology. Rambus is headquartered at 2465 Latham St.,
Mountain View, Calif., 94040; phone: 650/944-8000; fax: 650/944-8080;
e-mail: info@rambus.com. More information can be found at
rambus.com.
About TSMC
TSMC (ADS traded NYSE:TSM, also traded on TSE) is the world's largest
dedicated integrated circuit (IC) foundry and offers a comprehensive
set of IC fabrication processes, including processes to manufacture
CMOS logic, mixed-mode, volatile and non-volatile memory and BiCMOS
chips. Currently, TSMC operates two six-inch wafer fabs (Fab 1 and 2)
and three eight-inch wafer fabs (Fab 3, 4 and 5), all located in
Hsin-Chu, Taiwan.
In mid-1998, TSMC announced that production wafers were being delivered
from its first U.S. foundry, WaferTech, a joint venture with Altera,
Analog Devices and Integrated Silicon Solutions Inc. The company has
broken ground in the new Tainan Park, which will house Fabs 6 and 7 and
recently announced its participation in a $1.2 billion joint venture
fab with Philips Semiconductor which is scheduled to open in Singapore
in 2000. TSMC's corporate headquarters are in Taiwan. More information
about TSMC is available on the Web at www.tsmc.com.
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