Foundry

The International Electron Device Meeting (IEDM) has once again provided a chance for the major chipmakers to go head-to-head with their latest processes - this time with finFETs.

TSMC says it has begun risk production on its FinFET Plus (16FF+) process, claiming that it has reached a greater level of maturity earlier in its development cycle than previous nodes developed at the foundry.

Not just Intel and TI but also Lenovo and Huawei have cause to welcome end to 25% import tax. And could it even help reinvigorate Chinese start ups?

Are we torn between evolution and revolution? Mentor Graphics' Joe Sawicki discusses how pattern matching already in fabs could move up and radically alter the design flow.

GlobalFoundries is to acquire IBM's fabs in a deal that sees the server maker pay the foundry $1.5bn over five years and agree to exclusivity to 10nm.

TSMC has launched three processes the foundry is aiming at internet-of-things (IoT) and wearable-device designs, providing lower-leakage versions of its 55nm, 40nm and 28nm processes.

EUV may be getting most R&D cash but the world's biggest foundry says e-beam currently has the edge on defects and double patterning.

Foundry licenses atomistic TCAD simulator to better understand key aspects of advanced process nodes.

Cadence has launched a parasitic-extraction tool that takes better advantage of multiple computers and which has been certified for TSMC's 16nm finFET process.

Chinese foundry Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) is to get a helping hand to develop a production-class 28nm process from Qualcomm Technologies.