Since the formal approval of IGRS Standard in June, 2005, there have been many new manufacturers to join IGRS Working Group. By far, the number of IGRS WG members has increased to 48, including academic institution, network operator, component, chip, end manufacturer, etc., almost cover every link in industrial chain. Meanwhile, IGRS new members have expanded to some world-famous corporation in Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Europe, the USA and Iraq. What’s worth attention is that many IC manufacturers such as STMicroelectronics, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) have become formal members of IGRS Alliance.
STMicroelectronic is a global independent semiconductor corporation, who is also the leader of developing all kinds of microelectronics application series and transferring chip-level solutions. As a super strong union of silicon, system technique, throughput, IPR combination and strategic companion, STMicroelectronic established its most cutting-edge status of system-level chip technology, and its products will be of great importance to current integration trend.
Established in 2000, SMIC is headquartered in Shanghai and has three 8-inch fabs including a dedicated copper backend line. SMIC acquired its fourth 8-inch fab facility, Fab 7, located in Tianjin. In Beijing, the foundry also has a 12-inch wafer facility in production since July 2004. In May 2003, our Fab 1 was one of the two recipients of the "Top Fab of the Year for 2003" by Semiconductor International, a leading publication in the semiconductor industry.
The key technology and business operation experience that STMicroelectronics and SMIC have accumulated in chip field is a great fortune of IGRS Alliance, and their joining in will further improve IGRS industrial chain, promote function integration of IGRS products effectively, lower manufacturing cost and impulse IGRS standard’s industrialization process.