Common Platform
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IBM, Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing and Samsung Electronics have developed a new foundry model for the semiconductor market that offers enhanced flexibility, portability, capacity and resources, while accelerating the rate of technological innovation. This new model is enabled by the Common Platform, a working relationship between IBM, Chartered and Samsung developed to implement a common process technology across all three companies' manufacturing facilities. The new model combines the strength of a vertically integrated approach similar to an IDM, with the benefits of outsourcing services ranging from design through packaging.

At the heart of the Common Platform relationship is the bulk CMOS process technology that is jointly developed by IBM, Chartered, and Samsung. The group began with joint development at the 90nm process node and has extended the joint development to the 65nm, 45nm and 32nm processes. There are currently more than 300 process development engineers from IBM and nearly 40 process engineers from Chartered and another 40 from Samsung working together at IBM's 300mm fab in East Fishkill, New York.

In addition, Infineon, Freescale, STMicroelectronics and Toshiba are part of the joint development alliance, contributing valuable expertise and 'real-world' implementation environments to further develop the Common Platform technology.

This new model is gaining tremendous momentum with more than a dozen design enablement tool/EDA/IP partners joining to provide a comprehensive design ecosystem. About Overview

The Common Platform's benefits have been adopted by leaders in the electronics industry, including Microsoft (for its next generation gaming products) and Qualcomm (for its leading wireless communications devices)

The Common Platform offers unique advantages over traditional foundry models:

  • Customer choice & flexibility
  • Single design, multi-sourcing amongst 3 partners
  • GDSII compatibility
  • Flexible business and technical engagement models
  • Foundry and ASIC
  • Time-to-market advantage
  • Accelerated production ramps and yield learning
  • Reduced design variability with shared platform DFM offering
  • IBM Engineering design and support resources available when engaging with any manufacturing partner
  • Supply assurance
  • Unconstrained upside capacity
  • Robust and leading edge design enablement
  • Proven libraries, reference flows and IP