Nov. 5, 2009 (PR Newswire) --
NEUBIBERG, Germany and HSINCHU, Taiwan, R.O.C., Nov. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Infineon Technologies AG (FSE: IFX / OTCQX: IFNNY) and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TWSE: 2330, NYSE: TSM) today announced that they are extending their development and production partnership to a 65nanometer (nm) embedded flash (eFlash) process technology targeting next generation automotive, chip card and security applications. Based on the agreement, Infineon and TSMC will jointly develop 65nm process technologies for eFlash microcontrollers (MCUs) that fulfill the stringent quality requirements of the automotive industry, as well as the demanding security requirements of the chip card and security markets.
The partnership extension with TSMC is in line with Infineon's strategy to outsource manufacturing and to engage in technology co-development for 65nm and smaller geometry processes. The 65nm eFlash technology for automotive applications supports the high degree of functional integration required that drive the performance and features called for in upcoming safety and emission standards. The 65nm eFlash technology for chip card and security applications will support Infineon's innovation focus on tailored security that offers the appropriate level of security at the best cost-performance ratio, for applications in the smart card form factor and beyond.
Process and product qualification for security MCUs is scheduled for the second half of 2012. Automotive MCU qualification and production start is scheduled for the first half of 2013. Infineon's 32-bit TriCore(TM) family MCUs will be the first automotive products produced on the 65nm eFlash process. Ultimately, TSMC will manufacture Infineon's broad range of security microcontrollers that feature contact-based, contact-less or dual interface.
"We are pleased to extend our collaboration with TSMC as a stable and reliable partner into new applications," explained Jochen Hanebeck, President of the Automotive Division at Infineon Technologies. "We are confident that TSMC with its strong manufacturing excellence background will be able to fulfill the stringent automotive market requirements with their particular focus on quality."
Dr. Helmut Gassel, President of Infineon's Chip Card & Security Division, added: "For smart card and security applications, Infineon has safeguarded a long-term production partner. We trust in TSMC to master the demanding obligations of Infineon as an innovative and reliable source providing long-term and stable supply of security microcontrollers.
