Sun Selects TSMC for 45nm Processor Production
February 29, 2008
US-based Sun Microsystems named TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co) as its foundry partner for 45nm and future-generation processors, in a deal estimated to generate 500 million dollars a year for the Taiwanese company. Sun's long-term partner TI (Texas Instruments) will continue to test and package the 45nm processors, according to a press release by Sun.
TSMC will manufacture Sun's latest Ultra SPARC (Scalable Processor ARChitecture) processors for use in Sun SPARC servers, which are deemed potential rivals with similar Intel-based systems. The Taiwanese foundry is slated to start 45nm production in the fourth quarter of 2008, according to a Bloomberg report citing a TSMC official.