TSMC : Foundry Watch

TECHNOLOGY YES, BUT MUCH MORE

　In this issue of Foundry Watch, Dr. Andrew Moore and Dr. Cliff Hou have penned a design related article on tools and techniques available to improve the odds of first-pass silicon success. There's also a story detailing TSMC efforts to improve customer service and, yes, there's a story that outlines progress toward 90nm production.

　In the last issue of Foundry Watch, Dr. Shang-Yi Chiang wrote about design for manufactur-ability and there was another piece announcing the unveiling of Reference Flow 4.0. There was also an article on TSMC embedded memory processes.

　Over the past two issues, the preponderance of stories has been on services - design services, prototyping services and customer services.

This is hardly a coincidence.

By Dr. Kenneth Kin
Senior Vice President, Worldwide Marketing & Sales

　The point is deliberate and the story behind the stories is straight forward, although one too often missed by the semiconductor press. Simply stated, process technology alone will not lead to empowering our customers' innovation. In other words, advanced technology, while being the foundation of any successful manufacturing engagement, is only one part of the story. Services - design services, customer services, prototyping services, on-line services and more - comprise the keystone in the arch through which a customer's success must pass.

　TSMC recognized this fact a long time ago. For the past five years, we have invested significant resources - human and financial - in the development of services that will hasten the journey of our customers' innovations from design to revenue. And so while others try to wow the industry with their latest technology news release, TSMC has quietly but steadfastly increased what really counts to you - more foundry-related services.

　In the end, it will be the foundry that provides a robust service menu and who honors the sanctity of the customer relationship that will become the market's leader of choice. Yes, we are proud of our position of as the foundry industry's technology leadership. And while it has been hard-won, it is not that leadership that has vaulted us to the market's foundry of choice. Rather, it is our focus on our collaborative relationships with our customers, our suppliers and our technology partners and our unerring focus on providing services, that has drawn the market to TSMC.

　It is hard for services to make man-bites-dog front page news. Perhaps that's why the technology press and industry analysts have missed the bigger story. But we haven't.

　In this issue, we have articulated more than once TSMC's new corporate vision. In that vision, customer collaboration is key. But collaboration and mutual success occur only when there are foundry-related services available to bring vision to reality. For it is a robust portfolio of services that very well spells the difference between extraordinary customer success and a middle-of-the-road market position. In partnership with you, we can truly "forge a most powerful force in the semiconductor industry".