UMC licenses IBM technology for 20-nm FinFETs
Under the terms of the agreement, IBM will license its 20-nm process design kit and FinFET technology to UMC so the foundry can accelerate the availability of these processes for UMC customers, UMC (Hsinchu, Taiwan) said.
UMC is not joining the Common Process Platform—the IBM-led process technology alliance that includes Globalfoundries Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.—as the result of the license deal, a UMC spokesman said. The agreement covers only 20-nm and FinFET technologies, the spokesman said.
Though he declined to disclose the specific cost of the license deal, the spokesman described the terms as "reasonable and insignificant to our financial statements after expense amortization." The deal will enable UMC to save the considerable costs that would have been involved in developing 20-nm and FinFETs on its own, the spokesman.
The 20-nm and FinFET technologies will be offered as UMC processes, not as IBM processes, the spokesman said. The IBM license will enable UMC to expedite its own internally developed technology, he said.
UMC’s internally developed 20-nm planar process will be aligned to IBM’s design rules and process/device targets, while UMC’s FinFET will be offered as a low-power technology enhancement option for mobile computing and communication products, UMC said. Implementation will take place at UMC’s R&D site in the southern Taiwan city of Tainan, UMC said.
FinFETs are three-dimensional, fin-based multi-gate transistors. Intel Corp. is currently in production of 22-nm devices featuring FinFETs—known by Intel as tri-gate transistors. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd., UMC’s biggest rival in the foundry business, is not planning to implement FinFETs until the 14-nm node. Globalfoundries and Samsung are also planning to implement FinFETs at the 14-nm node.
"UMC’s position as a world-leading foundry involves timely introduction of leading-edge processes to enable next generation customer chip designs," said IC Chen, vice president of Advanced Technology Development at UMC, in a statement. "Leveraging IBM’s technology expertise to shorten our 20-nm and FinFET R&D cycle will create a win-win situation for UMC and our customers."
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