IMEC, Europe's leading
independent nanoelectronics research center on leading-edge process technology
for the next generations of IC manufacturing, has signed a new and expanded
research agreement with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the
world's leading semiconductor foundry. TSMC will also base its extended
European research efforts at the IMEC premises.
Under the agreement, TSMC extends its collaboration with IMEC as a core partner
which dates back from 2005. Within IMEC's core partner program the world-leading
foundries, IDMs, fabless and fablite companies, and material and equipment suppliers
collaborate on research and development, for 22nm and beyond, IC process technologies.
As part of TSMC's global effort to strongly expand its R&D, including
an expansion of research in Europe, TSMC decided to base its European R&D
at the IMEC facilities. In this way, TSMC can benefit from IMEC's state-of-the-art
clean room infrastructure which is currently been expanded to house the most
advanced –often preproduction- semiconductor manufacturing tools, allowing
to research technologies ahead of industrial needs. IMEC and its members can
benefit from TSMC's broad-based technology roadmap and platform expertise,
customers, suppliers, and ecosystem partners.
“This agreement with TSMC represents an extension of our long-term strategic
and fruitful partnership. We are proud that TSMC joins forces with IMEC to strengthen
their global R&D. This proves the industrial importance of our semiconductor
scaling research. We are confident that IMEC's joint research model will
contribute to TSMC's approach ‘collaborate to innovate';”
said Luc Van den hove, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
of IMEC.
“TSMC strives for innovation through collaboration to provide competitive
technology and value to its customers. The expansion of the partnership between
IMEC and TSMC underscores TSMC's commitment to increasing R&D for the future.”
said Jack Sun, vice president of R&D at TSMC.