Altera bases 45-nm success on TSMC relationship

Nicolas Mokhoff, EE Times
(10/09/2007 1:51 PM EDT)
 
NEW YORK — Altera and TSMC are at it again. Altera's next venture into a family of FPGAs that will be produced in the 45-nm process node is riding on the success of its earlier 65-nm successful relationship with foundry TSMC.

Two years ago, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. unveiled its 65-nm manufacturing process and FPGA maker Altera and others were taping out 65-nm designs. The first 65-nm process was optimized for low power, followed by a high-speed version. The 65-nm process already included the use of strained silicon and nickel silicide, low-k dielectrics and copper interconnects.