*AV* - news stories
TSMC Ships 0.25-Micron Production Wafers
Business Wire - January 08, 1998 08:11
HSIN-CHU, Taiwan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 8, 1998--Taiwan Semiconductor
Manufacturing Company (TSMC) closed 1997 by shipping production
0.25-micron wafers for a high performance logic product, the first in an
anticipated 10 products scheduled for 0.25-micron production in the
first quarter of 1998.
With this milestone, TSMC becomes the first foundry to commercialize the
process technology that economically accommodates 10-million transistor,
300-megahertz, system-on-chip products. TSMC is ramping this technology,
in three fabs, to 15,000 8-inch wafers per month capacity in 1998 and
much more in 1999 and beyond. "TSMC has set the standard for 0.25 micron
foundry technology," TSMC-USA president Ron Norris commented. "In
parallel we are developing process options for mixed-signal, high
density embedded SRAM and embedded 1-T DRAM functions." Norris added
that these process variations can be expected in the second quarter and
second half of the year; they will be 100% design compatible with the
baseline logic process to allow full design reuse. TSMC's 0.25-micron
logic process offers single poly, five layer metal and borderless
contact design rules resulting in almost double density over 0.35um.
Dual gate oxides provide for 2.5V or 3.3 V
operating voltages with 5 V tolerance. To facilitate design reuse, the
0.25-micron process allows shrinks from 0.5-micron and 0.35-micron
processes and has a built in shrink path to the 0.18-micron technology
that will be introduced in 1999. To accelerate customers' design process
and time-to-market, TSMC is also providing baseline design intellectual
property (IP) with silicon-verified, process-optimized libraries of core
cells and memories. These libraries will be expanded, in partnership
with select IP vendors, to include specialized IP. Taiwan Semiconductor
Manufacturing Company (ADS traded NYSE:TSM, also traded on TSE) is the
world's largest and fastest growing dedicated semiconductor foundry,
manufacturing more than 2.1 million 6 inch equivalent wafers in 1997 and
3 million 1998 with feature sizes down to .25 micron. TSMC continues
aggressive capacity expansion in advanced technologies. WaferTech, the
company's U.S.
joint venture in Camas, Wash., will begin ramping to production in July
1998. In July 1997, TSMC broke ground on Fab 6, the first of 5 new fabs
in Taiwan. Fab 6 will start production in 1999 and build to a capacity
of 60,000 8-inch wafers per month. Subsequent fabs in Taiwan will be
12-inch lines. TSMC has subsidiaries in the U.S. and Europe. TSMC's
0.18um production schedule calls for work with several undisclosed
partners for earliest production beginning in the second quarter of
1999.
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Oak Technology Shows Full Line of DVD Reference Designs and Its
Next-Generation VideoCD Solution at CES
Business Wire - January 08, 1998 08:45
LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 8, 1998--
Oak's System Expertise Provides Player and PC Solutions for DVD and
VideoCD Applications
Oak Technology (NASDAQ:OAKT), a provider of semiconductor and
software technology for DVD and VideoCD, will demonstrate its
Toccata(TM) and Tableau(TM) DVD reference designs at this week's Winter
CES '98 in Las Vegas. In addition, Oak will demonstrate the VideoCD
industry's most integrated single-chip solution, the OTI-257. These
system solutions will be shown at the company's booth 3619 at the Las
Vegas Convention Center, January 8-11.
New Reference Designs Powered by Oak's DVD Navigation Technology
"DVD is a complicated system task. Piecing together multi-vendor
solutions can be daunting. Oak has stripped away a layer of complexity
by providing customers complete DVD reference designs for both the
player and PC," stated Vince Guaglianone, senior marketing manager of
Oak's DVD Imaging Business Unit. "Oak provides its customers a wide
range of technical support, software and silicon that other vendors find
difficult to match." Oak's Toccata DVD standalone player board reference
design utilizes the TroikaCSS(TM) DVD presentation engine and the
Toccata DVD Navigation Module (TDNM). The system is based on an
inexpensive microcontroller running Oak's embedded Real Time Operating
System (RTOS) specifically designed for DVD applications. The RTOS
module design allows customers the ability to easily add or change
peripheral devices to meet product differentiation requirements of a
fast-paced market. The Tableau reference design is Oak's 3D/DVD PC
solution which integrates Oak's Interactive DVD Browser (IDB)(TM)
navigation software for Windows DirectShow; the TroikaCSS(TM) DVD
engine; and the WARP(TM) 5, Oak's 3D graphics accelerator, in a single,
cost-effective VMI-based reference design. A cost-cutting solution for
OEMs who are also interested in the highest quality 3D and video
playback, the Tableau offers a complete DVD decoder, with a high-quality
3D graphics engine as well as DirectShow navigation.
Next Generation of Video Cd Technology Shown by Oak
Also being demonstrated at the CES show this week is Oak's OTI-257, a
single-chip VideoCD player system. It integrates MPEG audio and video
with a CD-ROM decoder, a PAL/NTSC video encoder and a karaoke DSP all in
a single 100-pin PQFP operating at 3.3V. This single-chip device is
ideal for cost-reduced, full-featured VideoCD 2.0 players. "The VideoCD
market has experienced explosive growth in the far east and future
market expansion will depend on solutions that can deliver the most
features at the lowest cost," stated Gordon Ng, marketing manager of
Oak's VideoCD Imaging Business Unit. "The OTI-257 will allow a system
OEM to build a complete VideoCD karaoke player at the lowest price
point."
Seattle, WA, January 7, 1998 / eWIRE /--Microvision (MVIS), 15-1/8, was
awarded a $1M million U.S. Defense Department contract to build an
advanced, helmet-mounted display system for an operations center. This
is the second contract this week. With today's contract, Microvision
will provide BCBL with a prototype head worn display system that
incorporates an alternative to high-resolution desktop monitor
displays. The Microvision display will be a lightweight, dual-eye
(binocular), head worn device featuring full color and high XGA
resolution (1280 x 1024 lines). Compared to a desktop monitor,
Microvision's display provides the user with the portability of a small
goggles-type package and offers the potential to create a very large
apparent field of view making the display more suitable for viewing
detailed and complex data sets. Microvision's display also promises to
deliver higher resolution, contrast and brightness of displayed images.
High performance electronic displays are critical to Battle Planners,
who rely on accurate visualization for battlefield mission-planning.
Applications include digital mapping and terrain viewing, the ability to
use full color images for distinguishing
friendly versus enemy forces, and high resolution capabilities imaging
for operational planning requiring contour mapping. The VRD technology
scans a visual image directly onto the viewer's retina using low power
eye-safe laser light sources, effectively eliminating any need for a
desktop monitor.
The basic platform for the head worn device designed for BCBL will
support products for numerous other market applications outside of
defense, including potential use as a tool for all types of simulation
and computer modeling. Examples include CAD, architectural design,
molecular modeling, vehicle and industrial maintenance, training,
medical procedures and even computer arcade games and other networked
visual communications.
Rick Rutkowski, President and CEO of Microvision said, "Visualization of
the battlefield requires the use of superior operational tools.
Microvision's display technology, coupled with the advanced sensor and
computing technology now available offers the potential to provide a
powerful improved enhancement to situational awareness and
visualization of the battlefield. The applications being pioneered by
BCBL are representative of an exciting future for all areas of computer
visualization. Microvision is pleased to have been selected by the
Department of Defense to demonstrate our technology in a rapidly
emerging head worn display marketplace." |
