A little bit of history.
The technology will be used for commercial purposes only — and not for military applications as some have feared, said Richard Chang, president and chief executive of foundry provider SMIC (Shanghai).
In October, SMIC announced plans to make 90-nm chips on a foundry basis for Texas Instruments Inc. (Dallas) and perhaps other customers by early 2005. At the time, it was widely believed that SMIC and TI were co-developing the process (see Oct. 28 story).
Chang, however, claimed the Chinese company developed the 90-nm process in-house. “It's our own,” Chang said during a presentation at the Taiwan + China Semiconductor Industry Outlook 2004 conference here.
Chang said that SMIC was able to develop a 90-nm process, thanks to a 193-nm scanner. The tool was reportedly procured from one of its main lithography suppliers — ASML Holding NV of the Netherlands.
With this tool, SMIC was able to make a prototype SRAM, based on 90-nm technology in 2003. The “test chip” has been qualified in 2004, he said.
Still, the move towards sub-250-nm chip manufacturing in China signals the further erosion of a post Cold War-era pact — known as the Wassenaar Arrangement — set up to limit the dissemination of technology that could have potential military use.
Tools capable of processing 0.25-micron wafers had been the perceived limit under U.S. controls, but a number of chip-making startups, joint ventures, and major semiconductor manufacturers in China have announced plans for 0.18-micron and below processes.
To confuse matters, the U.S. Department of Commerce has all along contended there are no restrictions in selling U.S. fab tools into China with linewidth geometries below 0.25-micron. Last year, however, officials from the U.S. Department of Defense confused the issue, by announcing the U.S. government would began granting licenses for tools that are capable of processing 130-nm designs, starting in 2004.
During a presentation, Chang insisted SMIC's 90-nm technology would be used for commercial purposes only. He denied the technology would be leveraged by China's growing military establishment.
“The China government has not asked us to take part in any military projects,” he said. “SMIC has no idea what China's military is doing. We don't want to associate with them.”
SMIC denies 90-nm process aimed for military applications
The top executive from China's Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC) on Tuesday (Dec. 7) claimed that the company developed its own 90-nm process technology.The technology will be used for commercial purposes only — and not for military applications as some have feared, said Richard Chang, president and chief executive of foundry provider SMIC (Shanghai).
In October, SMIC announced plans to make 90-nm chips on a foundry basis for Texas Instruments Inc. (Dallas) and perhaps other customers by early 2005. At the time, it was widely believed that SMIC and TI were co-developing the process (see Oct. 28 story).
Chang, however, claimed the Chinese company developed the 90-nm process in-house. “It's our own,” Chang said during a presentation at the Taiwan + China Semiconductor Industry Outlook 2004 conference here.
Chang said that SMIC was able to develop a 90-nm process, thanks to a 193-nm scanner. The tool was reportedly procured from one of its main lithography suppliers — ASML Holding NV of the Netherlands.
With this tool, SMIC was able to make a prototype SRAM, based on 90-nm technology in 2003. The “test chip” has been qualified in 2004, he said.
Still, the move towards sub-250-nm chip manufacturing in China signals the further erosion of a post Cold War-era pact — known as the Wassenaar Arrangement — set up to limit the dissemination of technology that could have potential military use.
Tools capable of processing 0.25-micron wafers had been the perceived limit under U.S. controls, but a number of chip-making startups, joint ventures, and major semiconductor manufacturers in China have announced plans for 0.18-micron and below processes.
To confuse matters, the U.S. Department of Commerce has all along contended there are no restrictions in selling U.S. fab tools into China with linewidth geometries below 0.25-micron. Last year, however, officials from the U.S. Department of Defense confused the issue, by announcing the U.S. government would began granting licenses for tools that are capable of processing 130-nm designs, starting in 2004.
During a presentation, Chang insisted SMIC's 90-nm technology would be used for commercial purposes only. He denied the technology would be leveraged by China's growing military establishment.
“The China government has not asked us to take part in any military projects,” he said. “SMIC has no idea what China's military is doing. We don't want to associate with them.”
