Intel and TSMC Set to Make Strategic Announcement on Monday

[tam2]

Intel Corp. and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) are set to make a strategic announcement on Monday, the 2nd of March. No details are known, but a joint strategic announcement by the world’s largest maker of microprocessors and the world’s top contract manufacturer semiconductors will definitely have an effect on the whole market.

The event will be hosted by Intel executives Anand Chandrasekher, senior vice president and general manager of ultra mobility group and Sean Maloney, who is executive vice president and chief sales and marketing officer. From TSMC, Rick Tsai, chief executive officer of the company and Jason Chen, who is vice president of sales and marketing for.

It is unknown what kind of announcement will be made. It may be assumed that Intel would like to co-develop process technologies with TSMC, outsource part of production to the contract maker of chips or even build new factories together with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing.

On the 2nd of March the arch-rival of Intel, Advanced Micro Devices, will close the deal under which it spins off its manufacturing capacities to the new contract maker of semiconductors The Foundry Company, which is a joint venture between AMD and Advanced Technology Investment Company, which is based in Abu Dhabi.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/other/d...on_Monday.html

[foch3 -USA-]

Wow That sure changes things!

[IcY18]

GPU production?

[duploxxx]

Intel already has to many fabs old and new and sitting on overcapacity... lets see what this brings

[ColonelCain]

Intel already has to many fabs old and new and sitting on overcapacity... lets see what this brings

Exactly...

They DEFINATLY don't need any more capacity... larrabee is designed on intel processes.

Hmmm... I'm stumped.

[perkam]

I'm putting my money on Larrabee.

Who's with me?

Perkam

[ubuntu83]

Intel already has to many fabs old and new and sitting on overcapacity... lets see what this brings

Maybe TSMC wants to buy these fabs which are not in use by Intel?

[gOJDO]

Yeah...it smells on Larrabee...but it also smells on Intel trying to kick AMD/ATi and nVidia out of the market.

[Kingcarcas]

I'm putting my money on Larrabee.

Who's with me?

Perkam

I'm with ya but i don't have any money

[tam2]

Similar to AMD with TFC maybe?

-tam2-

[Macadamia]

TSMC licensing HKMG tech from Intel?

[Frananta]

They are plotting evil scheme to destroy nVidia

[BrowncoatGR]

I think it's clear that Intel will have to operate as a foundry in the future to some extent in order to keep their current fab infrastructure. I didn't expect this move quite so soon. Imo they intend to sell excess fab capacity on older processes through TSMC. I doubt Intel will outsource Larabee( It's going to need the best process it can get imo) or license current fab tech to TSMC.

[Shintai]

I think its all about NAND....

[FischOderAal]

TSMC licensing HKMG tech from Intel?

Could be a partnership like the one AMD has with IBM. TSMC get's HKMG from Intel, while Intel get's the knowledge to produce GPUs.

I think its all about NAND....

Why do you think that? Didn't they even decrease the amount of NAND-wafers to stabilize prices?

[[XC] riptide]

Its to set up the new joint venture.... Skynet.

[r4gm4n]

I might throw one out their:

- Intel fabs and have agreed a rate with TSMC so it has no additional cost to them but keeps orders high for TSMC? I dunno - just thought id throw one out there seen as everyone else is ;D

[Piotrsama]

The almighty Intel needing help?
It can't be.

[metro.cl]

i'll put my money on selling some old fabs to TSMC and then TSMC making all the chipsets, IGPs and NAND

[Rattle]

Its to set up the new joint venture.... Skynet.

[CmB]

I'm putting my money on Larrabee.

Who's with me?

Perkam

I think its all about NAND....

Hmmm...I think we need a speculation poll.

[Shintai]

Hmmm...I think we need a speculation poll.

LOL, if I am allowed a second guess it would be something like wireless communication stuff etc. Basicly all kinds of small random chips.

But we will see tomorrow what it is.

[Hans de Vries]

Hmmm...I think we need a speculation poll.

My entry to the speculation poll: A limited license for third parties
to use an Atom core in TSMC based System-On-Chip designs.

Obviously the concept of an FSB design + PCI_Express cards won't
have much success in the mobile phone space...

These solutions need entire SOC designs, where a CPU core is just a
small part of the entire die. Potential customers may not like to turn
over their complete SOC designs to Intel bearing in mind that Intel
intends to be their direct competitor with its own SOC in a few years.

Intel's problem is that you still need Windows to make x86 more
attractive as other solutions.

Regards, Hans

[perkam]

Its to set up the new joint venture.... Skynet.

I've been hooked to the Terminator Salvation trailer so this sent me into ze giggles

NAND is a possibility i guess since Larrabee would be a HUGE announcement.

Perkam

[570091D]

They are plotting evil scheme to destroy nVidia

charlie? is that you?

i'm thinking larrabee too, it's about time for them to start making eng samples and considering where and how it's going to be made. i'm guessing they still want a q4 '09 release and that's about 6 months away, so i think the timing makes sense.