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To: Yousef who wrote (163735)	4/9/2002 4:35:52 PM
From: TGPTNDR	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 186894

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To: Yousef who wrote (163735)	4/10/2002 2:11:00 PM
From: Monica Detwiler	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 186894

TSMC insists 0.13-micron process is ramping despite snags with low-k version By Mark LaPedus, Semiconductor Business News Apr 10, 2002 (9:18 AM) URL: siliconstrategies.com SAN JOSE -- During a conference here on Tuesday, an executive from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSMC) insisted the company is successfully ramping up its 0.13-micron technology, although it is still delayed and wrestling with the process based on low-k dielectrics. "We would be the first to admit that the transition from 0.18- to 0.13-micron technology has been challenging," said Ed Ross, president of TSMC's U.S. subsidiary, based in San Jose. "TSMC is the only pure-play foundry--I repeat the only foundry--that is fully qualified at 0.13-micron technology," Ross said during a keynote address at the company's annual Technology Symposium. TSMC insisted that its 0.13-micron process is healthy amid growing concerns that the Hsinchu-based silicon foundry giant is still experiencing yield problems with the technology, thereby causing shipment delays among its chip customers, sources said. And rumors are running rampant that Broadcom, Nvidia, and other TSMC customers are unhappy with the company's 0.13-micron chip yields, according to sources and analysts. For months, a number of major silicon foundry companies have been experiencing trouble reaching acceptable yields on their copper-based 130-nm (0.13-micron) processes. In nearly all cases, Asian foundry companies have not admitted to any problems publicly, but responses in recent conference calls indicate that0.13-micron technologies are still somewhat in the "debug," or "early-learning/yield-improvement" stages. Moreover, reports of widespread yield problems at 0.13-micron are raising some questions about the ability of third-party foundries to quickly deliver next-generation processes as more IC suppliers opt to shut down their own wafer fabs for contract manufacturing services (see Feb. 4 story ). At present, TSMC offers two separate and basic versions of 0.13-micron technology. The first version is a copper-based technology, with an FSG (fluorine-doped silicate glass) option. Meanwhile, the second version is a copper-based technology, with a low-k dielectrics option. While TSMC claims it is shipping parts based on the FSG version, company officials acknowledged that still having some "reliability" issues with the 0.13-micron process, based on low-k dielectrics. TSMC is shipping 0.13-micron parts based on low-k, but the yields are low and the technology is more difficult than the company had originally expected, according to sources. But still, the company downplayed the problems, insisting its 0.13-micron process is on track. "We have 38 fully qualified designs [based on 0.13-micron technology]," Ross said.