TSMC Selects Teradyne ATE for 0.18 Micron Test Chip;
Fabless Semiconductor Association Chooses Teradyne as Affiliate Vendor for its SFPQ Program
Company Press Release
SOURCE: Teradyne, Inc.
BOSTON, April 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Teradyne, Inc. (NYSE: TER - news) announced today that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd.(TSMC) (NYSE: TSM - news) has selected Automatic Test Equipment (ATE) from Teradyne to testits 0.18 micron test chip. In addition, the Fabless SemiconductorAssociation (FSA) has chosen Teradyne as an affiliate vendor for its Standard Foundry Process Qualification (SFPQ) Program.
Y.P. Chyn, Director of Product Assurance & Testing Service Division of TSMC South-site, said, ''We chose Teradyne ATE to perform the testing on our critical process qualification test chip because Teradyne's system-on-a-chip, VLSI, and memory test systems lead the industry in technology and quality. TSMC is the world foundry leader and we are dedicated to providing fabless and integrated companies with the most advanced wafer fabrication processes available. Teradyne is contributing significantly to our company's ability to deliver this.''
The FSA funded the SFPQ Program at the urging of its members. Under the tutelage of its SFPQ Subcommittee, the FSA created an industry standard test chip which contains all the necessary process qualification components including SRAM, logic, qualified library and intellectual property (IP) elements, reliability physics tests, minimum electrical parametric tests, process evaluation and SPICE modeling test structures.
''We are pleased that Teradyne, a leader in system-on-a-chip, VLSI and memory test, is supporting the SFPQ Test Chip Program,'' stated Colin Harris, Chairman of the FSA SFPQ Subcommittee. ''Foundries will benefit greatly by using this advanced test equipment as they implement the SFPQ Program to improve their fab quality.''
Sean Kline, Teradyne's Marketing Manager for Fabless, Foundry, and Subcontract Test Markets, said, ''Teradyne is very excited about helping its foundry partners implement their 0.25 micron and 0.18 micron SFPQ test chips, as enablers to improving fabrication process quality. Teradyne has worked hard for the last several years to establish a presence in the fabless, foundry, and subcontractor markets. Now we are leading, having worked closely with our foundry partners, winning key fabless design-ins, and leveraging our number one position with integrated device manufacturers.''
About TSMC
TSMC (ADS traded NYSE: TSM; 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 6-inch wafer fabs (Fabs 1 and 2) and three 8-inch wafer fabs (Fabs 3, 4 and 5), all located in Hsin-Chu, Taiwan. In mid-1996, TSMC commenced construction with its joint venture partners on the $1.2-billion WaferTech foundry in the United States. Fabs 6 and 7 are expected to be located in the new Tainan Park in Taiwan. TSMC's corporate headquarters are in Taiwan. More information about TSMC is available through the World Wide Web at tsmc.com.tw.
About the Fabless Semiconductor Association
The FSA was formed in July 1994 by industry leaders wishing to achieve a more optimal balance between wafer demand and capacity for fabless companies. The FSA represents a growing industry consisting of over 600 fabless companies worldwide. In support of the fabless model, the FSA will encourage the ongoing, symbiotic relationship between fabless semiconductor companies and suppliers; facilitate productive business partnerships; create awareness and promote the acceptance of the fabless business model; disseminate relevant data; and nurture the creation, adoption and implementation of standards and policies vital to the fabless model. The FSA can be reached on the World Wide Web at fsa.org.
About Teradyne
Teradyne is the world's largest manufacturer of automatic test equipment (ATE) and software for the electronics and telecommunications industries and a leading supplier of high-performance backplane assemblies and connectors. Products include systems to test semiconductor devices, printed circuit assemblies, telephone lines, computerized telephone systems, Internet and Intranet networks and software. Teradyne's extensive service network supports customers through a worldwide service and application engineering network, with technical centers located throughout Asia, Europe and North America. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Teradyne reported sales of approximately $1.5 billion in 1998. The company's Web address is teradyne.com.
SOURCE: Teradyne, Inc. |
