SilTerra bets on new 0.13 micron multiproject wafer 
by Jonathan Hopfner, EE Times 

(07/14/2005 10:34 AM EDT) URL: http://www.eetimes.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=165702275 

Malaysia-based foundry SilTerra will launch its next 0.13-micron multiproject wafer on Friday (July 15) in a move that executives said would help pave the way for the manufacturer's future growth. 

Steve Della Rocchetta, executive vice president of sales and marketing, said SilTerra expected the 5- by 5-mm chip to attract interest from the mobile handset and wireline and wireless networking sectors. The chip integrates logic, mixed signal and radio frequency capabilities. 

Della Rocchetta said SilTerra's new wafer was significant as its process technology matches that of 0.13-micron market leader Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSMC). 

"Furthermore, we will be adding [to the wafer], in conjunction withour design service and IP partners, a significant amount of IP content so that the customer can execute timely and cost-effective new product introductions," he added. "There is a significant difference between compatible and matching capabilities." 

While Della Rocchetta admitted the wafer would be a "very small contributor" to SilTerra's immediate revenue outlook, he said it would be "very significant in terms of future revenue generation." 

"We would expect that over the next one to two years that 0.13 micron will be the fastest growing technology within our ecosystem and will . . . eventually become the prime manufacturing technology for the company," he said. 

Della Rocchetta said SilTerra's technology roadmap was narrowing its gap with competitors such as TSMC and United Microelectronics. 

"Our joint development relationship with (the Belgium-based Interuniversity Microelectronics Center) has allowed us to accelerate technology development [and achieve] first silicon success, and importantly we own our process technology so we pay no royalty or licensing fees." 

SilTerra also has several derivative process technologies in the pipeline, though Della Rocchetta declined to provide further details. 

The foundry has been hit in recent months by sluggish growth in the consumer segment. For the final quarter of 2004 SilTerra reported revenue of $23.1 million, a 28-percent decline from the prior year, though total annual sales increased 83 percent over 2003. 


About Silterra Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.:

Silterra Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. is a leading semiconductor wafer foundry that provides advanced foundry standard CMOS logic, high-voltage and mixed-signal/RF technologies. The company’s wafer fab has a designed capacity of 38,000 eight-inch wafers per month. Silterra, which is committed to world-class service and environmental friendliness, received Notable Mention in the Malaysian Prime Minister’s Hibiscus Award competition for Environmental Performance in 2003. The company is ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001 certified. Silterra’s headquarters and factory are located in Kulim, Malaysia, and has offices in San Jose (California), Scottsdale (Arizona), Hsinchu (Taiwan) and Munich (Germany). For additional information on Silterra or its services
, please visit www.silterra.com.