Cyberjaya, 4 August 2021 – Dagang NeXchange Berhad (“DNeX”), through business unit SilTerra Malaysia Sdn Bhd, has entered into a wafer supply and purchase agreement worth US$400 million with ChipOne Technology (Beijing) Co Ltd, a leading driver integrated circuit (“IC”), touch controller and fingerprint sensor fabless integrated circuit design house based in Beijing, China.
Under the multi-year agreement, SilTerra will supply wafers which are used in the production of semiconductor devices to ChipOne.
Both companies will work closely on product development and mass production based on SilTerra’s state-of-the-art Bipolar-CMOS-DMOS (“BCD”) technology. CMOS refers to Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor while DMOS refers to Double Diffused Metal Oxide Semiconductor.
BCD technology is one of the key building blocks of SilTerra’s Smart Power Technology platform developed to deliver optimum energy efficient products based on proven mature process technology, intellectual property and design kits.
“We are pleased for SilTerra to enter into this agreement with one of the leading semiconductor chip design companies in China. This also shows the commitment of the new shareholders of SilTerra in transforming the company through driving sustainable business,” said Tan Sri Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir, Group Managing Director of DNeX and also Executive Chairman of SilTerra.
He said the agreement will also see SilTerra having a guaranteed wafer base load for the next several years and ensure a high factory utilisation rate for the company going forward.
“IC designers are striving to deliver energy efficient products, and this is aligned to strategies towards energy conservation and sustainability. As such, they look to adopt the smart power design techniques as well as advanced power technologies to meet this objective,” he said.
He added that with SilTerra will be leveraging on its proven process technology, foundry design kits and intellectual property to deliver optimum energy efficient products.
DNeX recently completed the acquisition of 60 per cent equity interest in SilTerra Malaysia Sdn Bhd (“SilTerra”) from Khazanah Nasional Berhad. DNeX is now is the majority shareholder of SilTerra.
Together with its partner, Beijing Integrated Circuit Advanced Manufacturing and High-End Equipment Equity Investment Fund Center (Limited Partnership) (“CGP Fund”), DNeX expects to transform SilTerra into a competitive global semiconductor technology player that will be able to capitalise on the strong demand for semiconductor chips globally.