TSMC to Take Delivery of an ASML EUV Lithography System for Research and Development on Future Technology Generations
22 February 2010 - 11:30AM
PR Newswire (US)
Agreement underscores TSMC's continuing investment in the European
semiconductor community VELDHOVEN, Netherlands and HSINCHU, Taiwan,
R.O.C., Feb. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ASML Holding NV (ASML)
today announced that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company
(TWSE: 2330, NYSE: TSM) will take delivery of a TWINSCAN NXE:3100
extreme ultra-violet (EUV) lithography system. This tool represents
one of six NXE:3100 EUV systems for ASML's worldwide partners and
customers. TSMC is expected to be the first dedicated foundry
conducting on-site EUV development and will install the new system
on its Fab 12 GigaFab(TM) for development of future technology
nodes. EUV technology employs a much shorter wavelength and has the
potential to reduce costs associated with current techniques used
to stretch 193-nm immersion lithography, making it a promising
lithography technology for manufacturing IC's for future advanced
technology nodes. TSMC is evaluating EUV and other lithography
technologies for their potential to optimize cost-effective
manufacturing at future technology nodes. "TSMC will use a TWINSCAN
NXE:3100 for research and development of future advanced technology
nodes," said Dr. Shang-yi Chiang, TSMC Senior Vice President of
Research & Development. "EUV is one of next-generation
lithography technologies we are investigating. Working with this
system is in line with our objective of maintaining advanced
technology leadership. At the same time, this agreement reinforces
our historic commitment to investing in the innovative European
semiconductor community which, through ASML and others, will play a
pivotal role in our process technology development in the future."
"With an NXE:3100 for TSMC, ASML is now providing EUV systems to
all major segments of the chip making industry: Logic, DRAM and
NAND flash memory, and Foundry," said Martin van den Brink, ASML's
executive vice president and chief product & technology
officer. "We look forward to continuing our long relationship with
TSMC by providing them the best possible technology for making the
chips of tomorrow." About TSMC TSMC is the world's largest
dedicated semiconductor foundry, providing the industry's leading
process technology and the foundry's largest portfolio of
process-proven libraries, IPs, design tools and reference flows.
The Company's managed capacity in 2009 totaled 9.96 million (8-inch
equivalent) wafers, including capacity from two advanced 12-inch
GIGAFABs(TM), four eight-inch fabs, one six-inch fab, as well as
TSMC's wholly owned subsidiaries, WaferTech and TSMC China, and its
joint venture fab, SSMC. TSMC is the first foundry to provide 40nm
production capabilities. Its corporate headquarters are in Hsinchu,
Taiwan. For more information about TSMC please visit
http://www.tsmc.com/. About ASML ASML is the world's leading
provider of lithography systems for the semiconductor industry,
manufacturing complex machines that are critical to the production
of integrated circuits or chips. Headquartered in Veldhoven, the
Netherlands, ASML is traded on Euronext Amsterdam and NASDAQ under
the symbol ASML. ASML has more than 6,500 employees (expressed in
full time equivalents), serving chip manufacturers in more than 60
locations in 15 countries. More information about our company, our
products and technology, and career opportunities is available on
our website: http://www.asml.com/ DATASOURCE: TSMC CONTACT: Jos
Vreeker, Corporate Communications, +31 40 268 3532 - Veldhoven, the
Netherlands, or Ryan Young, Corporate Communications,
+1-480-383-4733 - Tempe, Arizona, or Akiko Ogasawara, Corporate
Communications, +81-3-5793-1831 - Tokyo, Japan, all of ASML; or
Investor Relations, Craig DeYoung, +1-480-383-4005 - Tempe,
Arizona, or Franki D'Hoore, Investor Relations, +31 40 268 6494 -
Veldhoven, the Netherlands, both of ASML; or TSMC Acting Spokesman,
J.H. Tzeng, Deputy Director, Public Relations, +886 3 505 5028, or
Michael Kramer, Senior Administrator, Public Relations, +886 3 505
6216, both of TSMC Web Site: http://www.tsmc.com/
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