IBM and Tokyo Electron (TEL) have announced the renewal of their collaboration for the development of advanced semiconductor technologies. This five-year agreement will focus on furthering technology for semiconductor nodes and architectures designed to meet the needs of generative AI.
The alliance between IBM and TEL is not new, as they have been partners in joint research and development for over 20 years. Their previous collaborations have yielded significant advancements, such as the creation of a laser debonding process for 300 mm silicon chip wafers used in 3D chip stacking.
In this newly extended partnership, IBM's semiconductor process expertise will be combined with TEL's advanced equipment capabilities. Together, they aim to develop technology for smaller nodes and chiplet architectures that may fulfill future performance and energy efficiency needs, especially in the context of generative AI.
Mukesh Khare, GM of IBM Semiconductors, expressed enthusiasm about the continued partnership, saying, "The work IBM and TEL have done together over the last 20 years has helped to push the semiconductor technology innovation to provide many generations of chip performance and energy efficiency to the semiconductor industry. We are thrilled to be continuing our work together at this critical time to accelerate chip innovations that can fuel the era of generative AI."
Toshiki Kawai, President & CEO of Tokyo Electron, also commented on the importance of this renewed agreement, noting, "IBM and Tokyo Electron have built a strong relationship of trust and innovation through years of joint development. We are excited to continue to build on our long-standing partnership with IBM for another five years. This renewed agreement underscores our mutual commitment to advancing semiconductor technologies, including patterning processes with High NA EUV. Our collaboration at the Albany NanoTech Complex has been instrumental in driving innovation and we look forward to continuing this journey together."
The partnership benefits from the resources at Albany NanoTech Complex, recognized for its role as the leading semiconductor research hub. Managed by NY CREATES, the facility has been pivotal in promoting semiconductor advancement. Last year, it was designated as America's first National Semiconductor Technology Center, the NSTC EUV Accelerator. Under the new agreement, IBM and TEL will continue leveraging the site’s unique capabilities for research and development.