TMSC Announces First 40nm Silicon Wafer Line

[WiCKeD]

TSMC First to Deliver 40nm Process Technology

Hsinchu, Taiwan, R.O.C. - March 24, 2008 - Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. (TSE: 2330, NYSE: TSM) today unveiled the foundry’s first 40 nanometer (nm) manufacturing process technology.

The new node supports a performance-driven general purpose (40G) technology and a power-efficient low power (40LP) technology. It features a full design service package and a design ecosystem that covers verified third party IP, third party EDA tools, TSMC-generated SPICE models and foundation IPs. First wafers out are expected in the second quarter of 2008.

Highlights:

• A 2.35 times raw gate density improvement over 65nm
• Active power down-scaling of up to 15% over 45nm
• Smallest SRAM cell size and macro size in the industry
• General Purpose and Low Power versions for broad product applications
• Dozens of customers in the design pipeline today
• Frequent and regular CyberShuttleTM, MPW prototyping running

Following successful tapeouts and customer announcements of its 45nm process technology in 2007, TSMC has moved forward quickly and developed an enhanced 40LP and 40G process that delivers industry-leading performance with 40nm density. The 45nm node provided double the gate density of 65nm, while the new 40nm node features manufacturing innovations that enable its LP and G processes to deliver a 2.35 raw gate density improvement of the 65nm offering. The transition from 45nm to 40nm low power technology reduces power scaling up to 15 percent.

Full Press Release

[Camride]

Who do they make chips for?

[WindtalkerCS]

Nvidia along with a few other companies but they have a partnership with Nvidia.

[SonicME131]

ATI and VIA too.

[WindtalkerCS]

Didn't ATI start using AMD's fabs? Why would AMD pay to outsource a job they can do themselves?

[whitewolf11]

Originally Posted by WindtalkerCS

Didn't ATI start using AMD's fabs? Why would AMD pay to outsource a job they can do themselves?

I think he is right. ATi use AMD fabs now.

[Conroe]

No ATi uses TSMC still.

[SonicME131]

Originally Posted by WindtalkerCS

Why would AMD pay to outsource a job they can do themselves?

It's not that AMD couldn't do it, they just don't have the fab capacity. They have their two fabs in Germany, and even outsource processor production to Chartered Semiconductor, so taking on GPU production as well wouldn't be feasible.