一個(gè)由歐洲官方與私人攜手成立、旨在進(jìn)行納米電子技術(shù)研發(fā)的聯(lián)盟機(jī)構(gòu)(joint undertaking) ENIAC ,打算在歐洲建立3座試產(chǎn)晶圓廠,其中包括1座 18寸(450mm)晶圓廠。ENIAC執(zhí)行總監(jiān)Andreas Wild表示,該聯(lián)盟估計(jì) 2012年投資金額超過8億歐元(約10億美元)。
ENIAC 的全名是“歐洲納米電子計(jì)劃顧問委員會(huì)(European Nanoelectronics Initiative Advisory Council)”,成立于2008年,幕后推手包括歐盟委員會(huì)(European Commission)以及數(shù)家歐洲研發(fā)領(lǐng)導(dǎo)廠商;該聯(lián)盟機(jī)構(gòu)的成立目的是支持并維持歐洲的芯片生產(chǎn)領(lǐng)導(dǎo)地位,而建立試產(chǎn)晶圓廠的提案也是達(dá)成以上目標(biāo)的步驟之一。
根據(jù)Wild在日前于德國慕尼黑舉行的歐洲納米電子論壇(European Nanoelectronics Forum)上發(fā)表之提案,ENIAC將興建的3座試產(chǎn)晶圓廠包括一座專門提供微機(jī)電系統(tǒng)(MEMS)傳感器與功率組件生產(chǎn)的8寸(200mm)晶圓廠,一座支持尖端內(nèi)存與處理器制程的12寸(300mm)晶圓廠,以及一座支持先進(jìn)半導(dǎo)體設(shè)備與材料研發(fā)的 18寸晶圓廠。

ENIAC將建立3座試產(chǎn)晶圓廠
Source:ENIACgrnesmc
Wild在接受 EETimes美國版編輯訪問時(shí)表示,ENIAC的計(jì)劃還在協(xié)商階段,預(yù)計(jì)在11月底完成,因此試產(chǎn)晶圓廠的建立地點(diǎn)、時(shí)程,以及未來將生產(chǎn)的組件、可帶來的利益等都尚未確定。他表示,待協(xié)商結(jié)束,ENIAC將可公布更多相關(guān)細(xì)節(jié)。
而其實(shí)歐洲新建試產(chǎn)晶圓廠似乎并非必要之舉,目前當(dāng)?shù)赜袛?shù)個(gè)研究機(jī)構(gòu)都已經(jīng)具備所需設(shè)施,也會(huì)希望獲選為歐洲半導(dǎo)體研發(fā)技術(shù)的試產(chǎn)據(jù)點(diǎn),以藉此獲得資金援助。例如位于比利時(shí)的 IMEC 就擁有一座8寸試產(chǎn)晶圓廠,曾進(jìn)行研發(fā)/商業(yè)等目的之 MEMS組件生產(chǎn);該機(jī)構(gòu)也有一座12寸試產(chǎn)晶圓廠,正準(zhǔn)備安裝 18寸晶圓生產(chǎn)設(shè)備。
不過對 ENIAC 來說,試產(chǎn)晶圓廠提案的重點(diǎn)在于歐洲各界的廣泛參與,以及相關(guān)額外設(shè)施的著手建立。該聯(lián)盟機(jī)構(gòu)在11月14日向各界發(fā)出了意向書邀約,但規(guī)定有興趣參與試產(chǎn)晶圓廠計(jì)劃的對象,需以成員包含來自歐盟3個(gè)不同國家代表的產(chǎn)業(yè)聯(lián)盟形式;另一項(xiàng)規(guī)定是參與意向書的內(nèi)容,需包含完整的歐洲在地制造據(jù)點(diǎn)發(fā)展計(jì)劃。
本文授權(quán)編譯自EE Times,版權(quán)所有,謝絕轉(zhuǎn)載
編譯:Judith Cheng
參考英文原文:Europe plots three pilot wafer fabs,by Peter Clarke
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Europe plots three pilot wafer fabs
Peter Clarke
LONDON – A European public-private partnership formed to coordinate research in nanoelectronics has proposed projects for the creation of three pilot fabs, including one for 450-mm diameter wafers. The ENIAC joint undertaking is seeking more than 800 million euro (about $1 billion) towards projects for 2012, the majority of which would be for the pilot line project proposals, according to ENIAC executive director Andreas Wild.
The ENIAC joint undertaking is a major organization set up in 2008, which brings together national funding bodies, the European Commission, and the leading companies that conduct R&D in Europe. ENIAC stands for European Nanoelectronics Initiative Advisory Council.
The pilot line proposals are part of a political agenda that wants to support and maintain leading-edge chip manufacturing in Europe as a key enabling technology for systems manufacturing, service provision and wealth creation.
The proposals include a 200-mm pilot line aimed supporting industry in MEMS sensors and power applications; a 300-mm pilot line to support leading-edge manufacturing of memories and processors; and a 450-mm pilot line intended to support the development of advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment and materials. Wild presented some details of the proposals to the two-day European Nanoelectronics Forum which opened in Munich, Germany on Tuesday Nov. 20.
Click on image to enlarge.
Europe wants to keep making chips on wafer sizes from 200-mm to 450-mm in diameter. Source: ENIAC
Wild told EE Times that the projects are subject to negotiations that are due to close by the end of November. It is not yet clear where the pilot lines would be located or when they would be created or exactly what would be produced there and for whose benefit. Wild said more details should become available after negotitations have concluded.
It may not be necessary to create such pilot lines from the ground up as existing research institutes across Europe may seek to have existing facilities adopted as the nominated European pilot line and to receive financial support. Research institute IMEC (Leuven, Belgium) already has a 200-mm pilot line that is being used to produce MEMS components on a mixed R&D and commercial basis and a 300-mm pilot line that is being prepared to receive 450-mm wafer processing equipment when it becomes available.
However, it is important to ENIAC that broad involvement is included in the pilot lines and it wants to initiate the creation of additional facilities. On Nov. 14 the body issued a call for expressions of interest from parties to coordinate such pilot lines with the condition that they should be executed by an industrial consortium with at least three members from different countries in the European Union. A second stipulation was that the expression of interest should include a deployment plan for a full-scale European manufacturing site.
Malcolm Penn, CEO of technology and market analysis company Future Horizons Ltd. and an advocate of manufacturing for maintaining wealth generation proposed the creation of joint-venture owned commercial 450-mm wafer fab in Europe in a report prepared for the European Commission in 2011.
Neelie Kroes, vice president of the European Commission, who has asked whether it is time to create an "Airbus of chips" conglomerate is due to speak to the European Nanoelectronics Forum late on Wednesday (Nov. 21).
責(zé)編:Quentin