Oct 9 2013
XMC, a fast growing specialty foundry, today announced a licensing agreement with IBM under which XMC will license semiconductor process technology including underlying patents for several of IBM's production-proven advanced manufacturing offerings.
XMC has agreed to license both low power 65-nanometer (nm) RF and the 45-nm low power technology node. The agreement significantly expands XMC as capability base and provides a secure intellectual property (IP) foundation for its worldwide partners, further positioning it for growth in dynamic market segments.
Terms of the agreement were not announced.
The newly licensed technologies complement the company's existing line of manufacturing capabilities, which currently are in production for up to 45nm NOR flash. XMC also recently announced a technology development and manufacturing agreement with Spansion to expand its NOR technology offerings to 32nm. XMC will install the IBM 65-nm and 45nm process technologies in the second half of 2013 at its state-of-the art fabrication facilities in Wuhan, China. The current facility can be configured to produce up to 60,000 300MM wafers per month.
"This is a great validation of XMC's partnership strategy and gives them access to world class technology from IBM," said Len Jelinek, senior director and chief analyst at IHS Electronics and Media. "It also indicates the new level of cooperation and openness that is re-shaping the IC manufacturing landscape, an evolution which both these companies are embracing for the benefit of customers."
"Our strategy is to provide differentiated and leading-edge solutions for our partners. This agreement expands our offering and secures access to one of the richest process patent portfolios in the industry," said Walt Lange, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales of XMC. "We now have a much broader and deeper set of manufacturing options for our partners and will be able to service a wider range of their requirements in more markets. Today, more than ever, partners need not only state of the art technologies, but also assurance that their IP is based upon a secure foundation. With this agreement, XMC is well positioned to deliver both."
"Our 65nm and 45nm technologies are production-proven across many applications. This agreement underscores IBM's commitment to open innovation and leadership in developing technology to address demanding IC needs. We are extremely pleased in this partnership with XMC," said Tom Reeves, Vice President of Intellectual Property.
Source: http://www.xmcwh.com/