Qualcomm to Use Common Platform Technology

By Suzanne Deffree -- 10/26/2006

In another win for Common Platform technology, founding members IBM, Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing and Samsung Electronics today announced that they have produced 90nm chips for Qualcomm in their respective 300mm fabs.

Qualcomm will use the 90nm chips in its cellular phone chipsets and other wireless communications technologies. IBM noted in a statement this morning that the Common Platform relationship with Qualcomm extends past 90nm, to 65nm and beyond.

The Common Platform sees its members align their manufacturing for synchronized production across 300mm fabrication facilities at 90nm, 65nm and 45nm process technologies. At its core is the idea that a single design can be multi-sourced to any of the three facilities, essentially making it possible to produce nearly identical chips from any one of several manufacturing facilities.

"Collaborative innovation means the sharing of intellectual capital as well as physical capital, of people as well as dollars," said Ana Molnar Hunter, VP of technology for Samsung Semiconductor Inc., in a statement. "IBM, Chartered and Samsung all benefit from added capacity for manufacturing, and accelerated learning and yield ramps lead to cost benefits from both clients and partners. The Common Platform works because all parties benefit by getting products to market faster at reduced cost."

Fueled by the three powerhouses, the business model continues to gain traction. Indeed, Microsoft selected Common Platform technology for production of its custom Xbox 360 chip, designed and developed by IBM for last year's worldwide XBox 360 launch. The effort has also seen other partner companies join IBM, Chartered and Samsung, including Amkor, which signed up last month on the flip-chip packaging and design end.

The companies did not give financial or further product details of today’s Qualcomm announcement.

• Chia Song Hwee, president and CEO of Chartered recently sat down with Electronic News to discuss the Common Platform alliance. Click here to see what this executive had to say.

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