AMD, IBM Expand Chip Technology Alliance

The expanded alliance now includes chip technologies targeted at the 32- and 22-nm nodes. It also consists of early exploratory research of new transistor, interconnect, lithography, and die-to-package connection technologies through 2011.

Research and development will take place in IBM's Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights, N.Y., the newly announced Center for Semiconductor Research at Albany NanoTech, and at IBM's 300-mm fab in East Fishkill.

The agreement marks the first time a member of a technology development alliance will work directly with IBM's Research Division on R&D, electronic materials, and basic feasibility studies 3-to-5 years before commercialization.

"By expanding our successful IBM alliance, we can significantly increase our level of early-stage research, focusing on technologies for the 32-nm and 22-nm technology generations. By influencing and participating in this research, AMD can better align its process technologies with the needs of our products scheduled to be introduced late in this decade and beyond," said Craig Sander, corporate vice president of technology development at AMD, in a statement.

"This agreement is a perfect example of IBM's strategy of collaborative innovation," said Bernie Meyerson, IBM Fellow, vice president and chief technologist within the IBM Systems and Technology Group. "Working closely with our key development associates like AMD, we are able to bring advanced technology to market faster and more economically, providing added benefit to our customers."

AMD and IBM have been working together for some time. In 2003, the companies originally struck their alliance. The companies agreed to develop together process technologies for high-performance logic products and microprocessors, at 65- and 45-nm critical dimensions (see Jan. 8, 2003 story). That alliance has been extended several times.