Taiwan Semiconductor (TSMC) - größter EMS-Player der Welt (Seite 26)

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GPM lands solar equipment order from TSMC, says paper


EDN; Jessie Shen, DIGITIMES [Friday 23 July 2010]

Taiwan-based Gallant Precision Machining (GPM) has reportedly secured NT$3 billion (US$93 million) worth of orders for equipment used to produce CIGS thin-film solar cells from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), according to a Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN) report.

GPM has issued a filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE) clarifying it is not the source of the report, and declined to comment on the speculation.

TSMC recently signed a series of agreements with Stion under which Stion licenses and transfers its thin-film CIGS technology to TSMC, while TSMC will provide a quantity of solar modules to Stion using the technology.

GPM was quoted in previous reports saying the company is developing equipment for CIGS PV solar modules, and expects to unveil the machines in 2011.

GPM specializes in manufacturing equipment for LCD panels and IC packaging, and began to supply solutions for the solar energy sector at the end of 2007.

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Dienstag, 20. Juli 2010

TSMC: Neue Gigafab für Chips kostet 9,3 Mrd. Dollar
Wirtschaft & Firmen

TSMC, der weltweit größte Auftragshersteller im Halbleiter-Segment, hat mit dem Bau einer riesigen neuen Fabrik begonnen. Diese soll Chips im 28-Nanometer-Verfahren produzieren.

Der Standort der "Gigafab" liegt in Taiwan und hat eine Größe von 18,4 Hektar. Wie das Unternehmen mitteilte, wird der Bau und die Einrichtung der Fertigungsanlage eine Investition in Höhe von 9,3 Milliarden Dollar erfordern. Etwa 15 Prozent fließen in den Bau an sich, der übrige Betrag in die benötigte Ausrüstung.

Zur Produktion von Chips werden dabei Reinräume mit einer Gesamtfläche von 104.000 Quadratmetern entstehen, was etwa 14 Fußballfeldern entspricht. Hier sollen monatlich rund 100.000 Wafer mit einem Durchmesser von 12 Zoll verarbeitet werden.

Dabei gilt es beim Aufbau einiges zu berücksichtigen. So müssen sich die Wafer-Zulieferer erst auf eine solch hohe zusätzliche Nachfrage einstellen. Deshalb wird die Gigafab auch schrittweise in Betrieb genommen. Bis sie unter Volllast fährt, werden wohl fünf bis sechs Jahre vergehen.

Mit dem Bau der großen Anlage will sich TSMC auf die zu erwartende Nachfrage in den kommenden Jahren einstellen. Das Unternehmen geht davon aus, dass zukünftig weit größere Kapazitäten benötigt werden, als es bisher je der Fall war.

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...hatte ich schon wieder vergessen:

TSMC buys into Motech
09 December 2009 | By Mark Osborne | News > Cell Processing


The anticipated move by semiconductor foundry, TSMC into the solar industry has started with the purchase of a 20% stake in Motech Industries at a cost of approximately US$193 million. TSMC becomes the single largest shareholder in the company. Motech is Taiwan’s largest solar cell manufacturer. TSMC said that the investment in Motech would allow the foundry to enter the solar market faster than establishing its own operations and would now be better placed to evaluate its future solar strategy.

“We are delighted to partner with Motech in our pursuit of new opportunities in the high-growth solar sector,” commented Dr. Rick Tsai, President of TSMC New Businesses. “With the investment, TSMC intends to leverage Motech’s established platform to accelerate our time to market, better evaluate opportunities along the solar value chain, and further formulate our overall solar strategy.”

Dr. Simon Tsuo, Chairman and CEO of Motech“TSMC’s investment affirms Motech’s competitive position in the solar industry,” said Dr. Simon Tsuo, Chairman and CEO of Motech. “TSMC’s technology leadership and global management expertise would add significant value to Motech, as we strengthen supply chain integration and improve our operational efficiency. We plan to work closely with TSMC to address new business opportunities. We believe this partnership would further enhance Motech’s leadership position in the solar industry.”

Motech has been developing like many others, a vertical integration strategy that includes a majority investment in a polysilicon production plant operated by AE Polysilicon, which comes on stream soon, as well as ingot, through wafer and solar cell production. However, Motech also has plans to go further downstream and establish its own PV module production. The company has operations in both Taiwan and China.

The solar cell manufacturer has recently claimed average conversion efficiencies of more than 17.5% for its 5-inch mono-crystalline solar cells in volume production. Motech has targeted 18% conversion efficiencies by the end of 2010.

Motech is also expected to ship approximately 360MW of cells in 2009 and currently has a cell capacity approaching 600MW with plans to nearly double that capacity to between 800MW ~1GW in 2010.
With the TSMC investment and new strategic partner, capacity expansion plans as well as further moves to expand its business downstream could now be accelerated.

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TSMC takes stake in CIGSS start-up Stion: plans module production with IP license
16 June 2010 | By Mark Osborne | News > Thin Film, CIGS


Hedging its bets in its move into the solar industry, leading semiconductor foundry TSMC will start producing CIGSS thin-film modules after taking a stake in Stion and a technology license. VentureTech Alliance, a TSMC affiliate, will invest US$50 million to take a 21% stake in Stion.

TSMC said it would provide a certain quantity of solar modules to Stion in return as well as partner on developing Stion’s process technology further. Late last year, TSMC invested US$193 million for a 20% stake in Motech Industries.

“Working with Stion, TSMC gains a robust thin-film technology with inherent low-cost structure,” noted Rick Tsai, TSMC’s president of new businesses.

“With TSMC’s R&D capabilities and manufacturing expertise, we believe we can achieve long-term overall leadership in solar PV solutions, and we are happy to be able to contribute to a greener economy.”

“The collaboration enables Stion to scale its operations, leverages both companies’ strengths to achieve market leadership and to deliver on the promise of efficient, affordable solar energy,” commented Chet Farris, president/CEO of Stion.

TSMC did not say when it would start production of the CIGSS thin film modules or whether a new plant would be built to house production.

With many thin film start-ups strapped for cash to take their technology from the lab to the fab, the move could mean that Stion is changing its business plans and outsourcing production and possibly developing an IP licensing model as well.

TSMC is gaining access and faster entry into the CIGS thin film arena, which holds the greatest promise to compete effectively with CdTe thin film leader First Solar.

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ARM AND TSMC SIGN LONG-TERM STRATEGIC AGREEMENT
Enables broad processor and Physical IP optimization on TSMC’s most advanced technology nodes

Cambridge, UK and Hsinchu, Taiwan, R.O.C. – July 20, 2010 - ARM and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. (TWSE: 2330, NYSE: TSM) today jointly announced a long-term agreement that provides TSMC with access to a broad range of ARM processors and enables the development of ARM physical IP across TSMC technology nodes. This agreement supports the companies’ mutual customers to achieve optimized Systems-On-Chip (SoC) based on ARM processors and covers a wide range of process nodes extending down to 20nm.

The agreement provides TSMC access to optimize the implementation of ARM® processors on TSMC process technologies, including ARM Cortex™ processor family and CoreLink™ interconnect fabric for AMBA® protocols. It also establishes a longterm relationship with ARM for the development of physical IP, including memory products and standard cell libraries targeting the most advanced TSMC 28nm and 20nm
processes.

“The signing of this agreement is a significant semiconductor industry milestone because it formalizes a forward looking, long-term relationship between two of the industry’s
leading companies,” explained Mike Inglis, executive vice president and general manager, ARM Processor Division.

“I am pleased that ARM and TSMC will be working together
to enable ARM processor based SoCs leveraging both companies’ advanced technologies.”

ARM and TSMC will collaborate on creating TSMC technology optimized processor core implementations for benchmarking of optimal power, performance and area.

Typical implementations will target consumer-centric market segments including wireless, portable computing, tablet PCs and high performance computing....