GlobalFoundries 或是手握大量資金的產(chǎn)油國阿布達(dá)比(Abu Dhabi)，近期內(nèi)有沒有可能買下IBM的芯片研發(fā)業(yè)務(wù)？如果可能，價格點(diǎn)又會落在哪里？ 在一份由 Future Horizons Ltd. 和 Decision SA 以歐洲發(fā)展 450mm 晶圓制造的未來為主題，提交給歐盟委員會的報告中， Future Horizons 寫道，“我們假設(shè)，若 GlboalFoundries 打算并購 IBM 的半導(dǎo)體部門，那么， Hynix/美光(Micron)便會買下其它較小型的內(nèi)存公司?！? 不過，這個想法──即讓阿布達(dá)比所有的GlobalFoundries去買下在美國擁有技術(shù)領(lǐng)導(dǎo)地位的業(yè)務(wù)，非常具爭議性。 當(dāng)被問及為何Future Horizons認(rèn)為這會是一個有效的假設(shè)時，F(xiàn)uture Horizons分析師Mike Bryant表示，根據(jù)他聽到的傳聞，目前可靠度夠高的消息來源正在考慮這樣做的可能后果。 從某些角度來看，此舉確實言之有理。它符合IBM逐漸撤離硬件而朝軟件和顧問業(yè)務(wù)轉(zhuǎn)移的策略趨勢，同時， GlobalFoundries 看起來也能自然地繼承IBM在紐約的芯片業(yè)務(wù)。 事實上，IBM通用平臺聯(lián)盟(Common Platform Alliance)的家長式領(lǐng)導(dǎo)風(fēng)格，在與合作伙伴 GlobalFoundries 和三星電子(Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)等伙伴協(xié)同作業(yè)時，已經(jīng)顯得越來越不合時宜。 時間拉回十多年前，為了發(fā)展芯片技術(shù)， IBM 建立了研發(fā)成本共享的模式。 IBM 至今仍是一家位在紐約East Fishkill的芯片制造商，對先進(jìn)半導(dǎo)體研發(fā)貢獻(xiàn)卓著，積極參與各個半導(dǎo)體相關(guān)組織。IBM早在上世紀(jì)90nm節(jié)點(diǎn)世代，就已實現(xiàn)了包括絕緣層上覆硅 (SOI)在內(nèi)的多種制程技術(shù)創(chuàng)新。該公司還定期在IEDM上公開展示最新研發(fā)成果。 然而，IBM并未在市場上銷售芯片，該公司與半導(dǎo)體伙伴密切合作，并將PC業(yè)務(wù)出售給聯(lián)想(Lenovo)，這是IBM策略轉(zhuǎn)型的幾個重要步驟。 那么，為何IBM還必須為制程研發(fā)、超紫外光(EUV)微影技術(shù)和 450mm 晶圓支付龐大研發(fā)費(fèi)用呢？ 以下是幾個觀察重點(diǎn)： 隨著GlobalFoundries啟用紐約Malta的Fab 8廠，加上其在芯片制造領(lǐng)域的悠久歷史，要整合大量的IBM 研究員、研發(fā)資源、專利和位在紐約East Fishkill的300mm晶圓廠看來也頗合理。 其中一個癥結(jié)可能會是價格。 中國的聯(lián)想集團(tuán)在2005年以17.5億美元買下IBM的PC業(yè)務(wù)。不過，IBM的芯片業(yè)務(wù)和半導(dǎo)體研究部門會值多少？10億美元會太多嗎？20億美元夠不夠？ 另外兩個癥結(jié)點(diǎn)，可能來自于美國國家安全和民族自豪感。 透過其投資決策與來自政府機(jī)關(guān)的支持，IBM已經(jīng)協(xié)助振興美國東北部，特別是紐約。該公司促成了GlobalFoundries、Sematech和全球 450聯(lián)盟(Global 450 Consortium)等企業(yè)和機(jī)構(gòu)落腳紐約。去年九月，IBM在紐約一項為期五年、挹注資金達(dá)44億美元的先進(jìn)芯片開發(fā)計劃中，便貢獻(xiàn)了36億美元。 IBM的股東必須做出正確抉擇，因為IBM正處在一個與美國策略目標(biāo)高度相關(guān)的位置──無論是經(jīng)濟(jì)或先進(jìn)芯片制造的相關(guān)策略方面。若IBM的芯片業(yè)務(wù)真的落到Abu Dhabi手中，則一切就都是未知數(shù)了。 本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times，版權(quán)所有，謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載 編譯： Joy Teng 本文下一頁：參考英文原文：Will GlobalFoundries buy IBM's chip business?，by Peter Clarke

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{pagination} Will GlobalFoundries buy IBM's chip business? Peter Clarke Will GlobalFoundries Inc. or some other manifestation of the oil-rich state of Abu Dhabi, be buying the chip R&D and business interests of IBM any time soon? And what would be the price? Future Horizons Ltd. (Sevenoaks, England) has said it included the comment "We assume GlobalFoundries will purchase IBM’s semiconductor division and that Hynix/Micron will buy up the remaining smaller memory firms," in the conclusions of a report prepared by Future Horizons and Decision SA for the European Commission on the future of 450-mm wafer processing in Europe. The idea that GlobalFoundries – a foundry owned by an Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth vehicle – could buy significant chunk of American technology leadership is likely to be controversial. When asked why he thought the move was a valid assumption, Future Horizons analyst Mike Bryant, said he had heard rumors that discussions are taking place from enough reliable sources to consider the outcome likely. And the move would make sense in some ways. It is in-line with IBM's strategic retreat away from hardware and towards software and consultancy and GlobalFoundries looks like a natural inheritor of IBM chip interests in New York state. Indeed IBM's role as the paternalistic overseer of the Common Platform Alliance on process technology, alongside collaborators GlobalFoundries and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., looks increasingly anachronistic. It was over a decade ago that IBM established the model of sharing R&D costs to develop chip technology. IBM is still a manufacturer of chips at East Fishkill, New York, and contributes a great deal of advanced research to various semiconductor-related consortia and initiatives it is involved in. Since it started on the 90-nm node more than a decade ago it has fostered out a number of manufacturing processes and innovations including SOI. It has also been a regular source of presentations at leading conferences such as IEDM. But IBM does not sell chips on the open market and since it began its semiconductor collaborations it has sold off its PC business to Lenovo, as a key part of its strategic transformation. So why does IBM need to pay for research into manufacturing processes, extreme ultraviolet lithography, and 450-mm diameter wafers? Two or three sticking points With GlobalFoundries bringing up its Fab 8 in Malta, New York, and their long mutual history, it would make a great deal of sense to bundle up a lot of IBM's researchers, R&D, patents and its 300-mm wafer fab at East Fishkill and hand them over. One sticking point might be the price. China's Lenovo paid about $1.75 billion for IBM's PC business back in 2005. But at how much would you value IBM's chip business and semiconductor research? Is $1 billion too much? Is $2 billion not enough? Two other sticking points might be U.S. national security and national pride. Through its investment decisions and with public authority support IBM has helped revitalize the northeast of the United States and New York State in particular. It has helped to bring GlobalFoundries, Sematech, and the Global 450 Consortium to come and work in New York. Only last September IBM pledged to contribute $3.6 billion to a $4.4 billion five-year spend on the future of chipmaking, backed by the state of New York. While IBM must do the right thing by shareholders, it is in a position to co-operate with United States' strategic objectives, be they economic or related to the strategic ability to manufacture leading-edge chips. If IBM's chip business fell under the control of Abu Dhabi that would no longer be certain.