SAN JOSE, Calif. — Expanding its presence in China, Qualcomm Inc. late Thursday (July 27) announced a foundry agreement with Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC).
Under the terms, Chinese foundry provider SMIC (Shanghai) will make Qualcomm's chips based on a specialized BiCMOS process technology at its 200-mm fab in Tianjin, China. The two companies dropped hints that the deal revolves around cellular-phone chips and power-management ICs. SMIC also announced its Q2 results on Thursday.
In May SMIC said that its subsidiary, Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Tianjin) Corp., entered into a $300 million, five-year loan agreement with various banks. The proceeds of the loan would help to expand the capacity at SMIC's fab in Tianjin. In 2003 SMIC originally acquired that fab from Motorola Inc.
"This strategic agreement with SMIC will allow Qualcomm to leverage the foundry's operation and management expertise in mixed-signal technology manufacturing and supply chain management to serve our customers in China and around the world," said Sanjay K. Jha, president of Qualcomm's CDMA Technologies unit, in a statement.
The deal is aimed to expand its presence in China. In 2003, Qualcomm (San Deigo) announced plans to invest up to $100 million in Chinese companies engaged in the development and commercialization of CDMA-based products, applications and services. In March of this year, the company announced the joint founding of TechFaith Software China Ltd. to focus on the development of application software for mobile devices.
It also expands Qualcomm's list of foundry providers. At one time or other, the cell-phone chip maker has used foundry services from IBM, Intel, Samsung, TSMC, UMC, and now, SMIC.
Recently, Qualcomm announced "early sampling" for its first 65-nm, cellular-phone chipset line. The company's previously-announced Mobile Station Modem (MSM) 6800 is a chipset geared for handsets based on cdma2000 1xEV-DO technology. The MSM6800 is manufactured on a foundry basis by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSMC).
TSMC and UMC are the main foundries for Qualcomm. Last year, Qualcomm and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. extended their foundry partnership and the Korean company will start making the latest generation CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) and W-CDMA (Wideband CDMA) wireless chipsets for Qualcomm.
Qualcomm's rival is also making headlines. Matsushita and NEC Corp. are teaming with cell-phone rival Texas Instruments to form a mobile phone joint venture that will share R&D activities. The Japanese companies want to use the deal to become global wireless players.
RSS
Digital
10 emerging technologies to watch:
EE Times has compiled a list of emerging technologies that we think will be worth watching out for in 2010. Biofeedback or thought-control of electronics are among the contenders.
Hot applications in 2010:
We've compiled a list of 10 technology applications you should watch for in 2010, ranging from e-book readers to 3-D TVs. We examine the features that make these apps so compelling as well unresolved issues.
Top 25 predictions for semis in 2010:
2010 is just beginning to unfold in the electronics industry. Looking into our crystal ball, we have released our own chip forecasts--and other predictions--for 2010.
Seven things to fix in 2010:
The editors of EE Times came up with their own informal list of things we hope engineers fix in 2010, spanning everything from nano-lithography to space travel. What do you want to see get done this year?
'09 moves that are shaping the future:
This was a brutal year, but the industry gets a nod for showing grace under fire. Here's our Top 10 guide to the coming year, illustrating what to expect in 2010.
10 CEOs out in 2009:
It's been a tough year for the global electronics industry and CEOs. We survey the dismissal of 10 industry CEOs during the first three quarters of 2009 and what's ahead for the rest of the year.
Notable women in microelectronics:
There is no better time than a global economic recession to examine the keys to successful corporate governance. So, EE Times has compiled an international list that celebrates women who are business and technology leaders in semis.
EE Times updates Silicon 60:
Seventeen companies have been added to the lastest version of our Silicon 60 list of emerging startups. Forty-three companies survived as emerging companies that are still worth watching.
RSS| 
Digital| 
Mobile
