TSMC, IMEC bring innovative ideas together

IMEC and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd are uniting their efforts in the Innovation Incubation Alliance for the creation of a platform that will enable the development of innovative product solutions using emerging More-than-Moore technologies. Integrating extra functionalities with foundry CMOS lets customers compete in emerging markets. By combining IMEC's expertise in design & technology R&D with TSMC's excellence in high-volume manufacturing, customers will benefit from an early access to new More-than-Moore technologies and rapid transition to volume manufacturing for next-generation electronic products.

The IMEC-TSMC Innovation Incubation Alliance provides a platform for turning your innovative concepts into packaged microsystem products with enhanced functionality. Customers get access to emerging technologies, validate concepts at product level, and rapidly transfer to volume manufacturing. IMEC and TSMC bring together a multi-disciplinary team of technologists, designers and test capabilities to design and develop the next-generation products based on innovative technology and design solutions. During the prototyping process at IMEC, compatibility with existing TSMC technology manufacturing platforms will be pursued to ensure a smooth transition to volume manufacturing at TSMC.

Optical, thermal, chemical, acoustical, bio-sensing, display, memory and wireless communication functions have become a vital part of our multi-functional electronic products. Moreover, miniaturisation of all these functions into compact form factors is essential to meet the consumer electronics demands for low-cost and energy-efficient solutions. Besides the various More-than-Moore technology flavours, such as mixed-signal elements, 3D technologies, MEMS processes, Si photonics and BiCMOS/HV, design & test tools and skills are needed to build these new multi-functional electronic products.

IMEC's CMORE initiative covers the full trajectory from early technology and design exploration, to building technology platforms and design libraries, and finally to product prototyping and the production of small volumes. IMEC's CMORE initiative is supported by a skilled organisation that operates a 200mm and 300mm R&D fab in a 24/7 mode.

"We are convinced that by joining our strengths, the IMEC-TSMC Innovation Incubation Alliance will offer customers an industry wide platform to rapidly bring innovative products to market," said Maria Marced, president of TSMC Europe. "With its solid R&D track record and global scale industry collaborations, IMEC is well positioned to demonstrate novel technology and design solutions at product level."

"We are pleased to expand our collaboration with TSMC in the More-than-Moore field", said Luc Van den hove, IMEC's president and CEO. "By linking IMEC's R&D skills with TSMC's manufacturing skills during the product development phase, the transition of More-than-Moore technologies to high volume manufacturing will accelerate."