ISMI News
Renesas Technology Joins International SEMATECH Manufacturing Initiative
Austin, TX (3 April 2006) – Japanese semiconductor leader Renesas Technology Corp. has joined the International SEMATECH Manufacturing Initiative (ISMI), adding momentum to the two-year-old manufacturing‑oriented microchip consortium and increasing Renesas’ access to cutting‑edge technology.
Taking its place alongside 12 other ISMI members, Renesas is sending assignees to work in programs that concentrate on helping chip manufacturers improve factory productivity and reduce cost per wafer, and ultimately cost per die. Semiconductor producers Panasonic, Spansion LLC, and Samsung also joined ISMI after its formation in January 2004 as a new consortium and wholly owned SEMATECH subsidiary. ISMI’s nine other members originated as SEMATECH member companies.
“We’re elated that a company as prominent as Renesas has chosen to join our roster of leading chip manufacturers,” said Scott Kramer, ISMI director. “Our membership now represents well over half of the world’s microchip production. That’s a powerful base for making positive and significant changes in the manufacturing end of this industry.”
Renesas cited ISMI’s programs in manufacturing productivity and benchmarking as its main reasons for joining the consortium.
ISMI’s core programs include fab productivity, equipment productivity, metrology, environment/safety/health, and next wafer size. The consortium conducts projects within those program areas, guided in the short term by installed base industry needs, and in the longer term by critical strategic manufacturing requirements defined by consortium members. Focused ISMI efforts in e-manufacturing, standards development, statistical methods and fab industry modeling have helped accelerate the realization of future factory needs of the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS).
ISMI membership is open to all semiconductor manufacturers with fabs. Participating companies continuously evaluate and refresh the consortium's program content, which includes cycle time reduction, equipment productivity improvement, and fab benchmarking.