News & Analysis
TI to ramp up 90-nm process on four fab fronts
Mark LaPedus
10/20/2004 11:30 AM EDT
Initially, the chip maker will produce 90-nm designs in two internal fabs and a pair of silicon foundries, said Kevin March, senior vice president and chief financial officer for TI (Dallas), during a conference call this week. The disclosure came after TI posted its third quarter results (see Oct. 19 story).
At present, the company's "Kilby Fab" is up and running with 90-nm technology, March said. That fab is a 200-mm plant located at TI's Dallas campus.
TI's DMOS6 fab is also ramping up 90-nm technology, he said. Located in Dallas, the 300-mm fab started production at 130-nm technology and will move to 90-nm design rules late this year.
TI has also qualified 90-nm technology at one foundry, with another provider coming on board by year's end. March did not identify the names, but many believe TI is working with Taiwan's United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC) and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSMC).
Last summer, TI officials told EE Times that the company's "lead foundry" for the 90-nm node is UMC. The Taiwanese foundry has begun shipping 90-nm baseband processors to TI's largest customer, Nokia Corp.
TI expects to qualify TSMC and UMCi — the UMC-operated 300-mm fab in Singapore — later this year at 90-nm design rules (see July 17 story).
But is there a fourth foundry? TI's foundry partners also include China's Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC) and Korea's DongbuAnam Semiconductor Co. Ltd. DongbuAnam is making 180-nm digital signal processors (DSPs) for TI within the former Anam Semiconductor Inc. fab in Korea. That fab is not capable of going below those geometries, according to analysts.
SMIC said it is developing 90-nm processes and claims it has a technology partner. Reports surfaced that SMIC will also make 90-nm chips on a foundry basis for TI (see Oct. 8 story).
