Chinese Foundry Licenses 45nm Tech From IBM
“IBM has licensed its next-generation technology for manufacturing processors to Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp., the largest Chinese chipmaker, the companies said Wednesday.
The partnership spotlights the growing technical abilities in China, a country that's already a manufacturing powerhouse for lower-tech products. Terms of the IBM deal weren't disclosed.”
Acquiring 45nm technology could very well be the first step in China's eventual entry into the mainstream CPU arena. There are already numerous home-grown chips being developed and even manufactured in China, but it would seem likely that Chinese firms would want to break into other markets instead of just serving as a foundry for foreign companies. At this point, a third CPU manufacturer could certainly make things interesting.
The partnership spotlights the growing technical abilities in China, a country that's already a manufacturing powerhouse for lower-tech products. Terms of the IBM deal weren't disclosed.”
Acquiring 45nm technology could very well be the first step in China's eventual entry into the mainstream CPU arena. There are already numerous home-grown chips being developed and even manufactured in China, but it would seem likely that Chinese firms would want to break into other markets instead of just serving as a foundry for foreign companies. At this point, a third CPU manufacturer could certainly make things interesting.
