Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing
Company, Ltd. (TWSE: 2330, NYSE: TSM) today announced that it plans to launch
the automotive industry's first process qualification specification and service
package for automotive-grade semiconductor manufacturing at the China IC Design
Conference being held in Xiamen on December 2.
The company also announced that its Fab 10, located in Shanghai, is prepared
to manufacture automotive grade ICs.
The automotive process qualification specification, made broadly public today,
was first proposed at the Automotive Electronic Council's (AEC) annual Reliability
Workshop in June 2008. Semiconductor devices in automobiles wear out quickly
due to the stringent operating environment, and it is critical that the inherent
manufacturing process can support semiconductor devices that will last far beyond
the vehicle's lifetime.
TSMC has also developed a comprehensive Automotive Service Package to complement
customers' test coverage and test methodology to reduce the field failure rate.
TSMC Automotive Service Package incorporate tightened process control, device
level screen limit, and wafer sorting scrap criteria, additional SPC monitoring,
preferred tools, etc. It significantly reduces process variation and outliers.
"Integrated circuits of all types are playing a larger role in the automotive
industry. Our commitment is to support automotive IC technology including innovations
that are taking place in China," said Jason Chen, Vice President, Worldwide
Sales and Marketing, TSMC. "We are backing this commitment with action
by dedicating our efforts at Fab 10 in Shanghai to accelerate the growth of
China's automotive present and future."
TSMC Fab 10 in Shanghai, along with multiple fabs in Taiwan, has successfully
established the capability of supporting the automotive service package. The
automotive process route in Fab 10 is available for global auto supply chain
companies, including those in China.
TSMC is the world's largest dedicated semiconductor foundry, providing the
industry's leading process technology and the foundry's largest portfolio of
process-proven libraries, IP, design tools and reference flows. The Company's
total managed capacity in 2008 exceeded 9 million 8-inch equivalent wafers,
including capacity from two advanced 12-inch - GigaFabs(TM), four eight-inch
fabs, one six-inch fab, as well as TSMC's wholly owned subsidiaries, WaferTech
and TSMC (China), and its joint venture fab, SSMC. TSMC is the first foundry
to provide 40nm production capabilities. Its corporate headquarters are in Hsinchu,
Taiwan.
Posted November 27th, 2009
