IBM licenses 45nm bulk CMOS to SMIC

SHANGHAI, CHINA & USA: Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC) and International Business Machines (IBM) have signed an agreement to license IBM’s 45-nanometer bulk CMOS technology to SMIC for 300mm wafer foundry service.

Under the agreement, IBM will license bulk CMOS technology to SMIC. The technology can be used to fabricate devices in mobile applications such as handsets integrated with 3G, multimedia, graphics chips, and chipsets at the 45nm technology node. The technology can also support the manufacturing of graphics and other consumer devices.

The licensing agreement with IBM is part of SMIC’s commitment to further strengthen its leading foundry position in China to serve customers in high growth market sectors around the world. This agreement complements SMIC’s ongoing R&D progress, including its 65nm low-power technology, which is under customer product qualification.

Matthew Szymanski, vice president of Corporate Relations for SMIC, said: "Coupled with IBM’s expertise on design enabler and system IP comprehension, SMIC can transition our fabless customers to system-on-chip (SOC) design for the 45nm node era."