Powerchip partners with IMEC on sub-32-nm research

Powerchip Semiconductor Corporation (PSC), a leading Taiwan-based memory semiconductor supplier offering Dynamic Random Access Memory chips (DRAMs) and Flash memory chips, has entered into a partnership with IMEC, Europe's leading independent nanoelectronics research center, to perform research and development for the sub-32nm memory process generations.

As part of the agreement, PSC will collaborate within IMEC's advanced lithography program addressing immersion, double patterning and EUV lithography challenges. From March 2008 onwards, PSC researchers will reside at IMEC to closely collaborate with IMEC's researchers in the abovementioned areas. In this way, they will build up fundamental understanding and develop robust solutions for the 32nm and beyond memory process generations.

With this agreement, IMEC further enforces the unique strength of its consortium and program towards leading memory technologies. Before that, IMEC had already grouped the top five leading memory suppliers including Micron, Qimonda, Samsung, Elpida and Hynix, to collaborate within IMEC's global research platform striving to scale CMOS beyond the 32nm node. The platform also unites world leading logic IDMs and foundries, including Intel, Panasonic, TSMC, Infineon, NXP, STMicroelectronics and Texas Instruments. This "leading mix" of semiconductor market segments is proving to be a unique cross-fertilization platform strengthening state-of-the-art process R&D beyond 32nm node and answering the needs of the whole semiconductor market.

IMEC