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To: Proud_Infidel who wrote (53957)	10/8/2001 12:55:47 PM
From: Proud_Infidel	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 70976

Dongbu and Tower Semi plan compatible 0.18-micron foundry capacity Two companies will leverage licensed processes from Toshiba Semiconductor Business News (10/08/01 10:52 a.m. EST) SEOUL -- Korean startup Dongbu Electronics Co. Ltd. and Israel's Tower Semiconductor Ltd. today announced a technology and manufacturing partnership to jointly develop compatible CMOS processes and share silicon foundry capacity. Both silicon foundry companies have based their own 0.18-micron processes on CMOS technology licensed separately from Toshiba Corp. in 2000. Starting in the first quarter of 2002, Dongbu and Tower Semiconductor said they plan to offer compatible 0.18-micron CMOS processes, based on the licensed technology from Toshiba. Both foundry companies also have separate manufacturing pacts with Toshiba. "The synergy that will come from this accord will ultimately benefit our respective customers," said Sin Hyuk Han, president and CEO of Dongbu. Last month, the Korean foundry startup announced it expected to qualify a 0.18-micron process from Toshiba for manufacturing in October (see Sept. 5 story). To help set up Dongbu's foundry fab, Toshiba is investing $50 million in the plant while transferring technology to the plant. The Japanese electronics giant has licensed its 0.25-, 0.18- and 0.13 micron CMOS wafer process technologies to Dongbu as well as given the Korean company rights to design cell libraries (see July 3, 2000, story). Meanwhile, Tower Semiconductor in Migdal Haemek, Israel, has licensed Toshiba's CMOS technologies has part of a foundry agreement announced last year (see March 28, 2000, story). The two foundry suppliers now plan to offer their customers a second-source for processed wafers using compatible 0.18-micron technologies. "Our common technology base enables the two companies to start the development work immediately, and to effectively provide second source capability even prior to the completion of our Fab 2," said Yoav Nissan-Cohen, Co-CEO of the Israeli foundry company. Tower is now building an 8-inch wafer fab next to its existing 6-inch plant in Migdal Haemek with grants from the Israel government and investments from SanDisk, Alliance Semiconductor, Macronix, and QuickLogic.