Freescale, IBM to Collaborate on Future Semiconductor Technologies

Austin, Texas-based Freescale Semiconductor and IBM of Armonk, N.Y., today announced that Freescale will join the IBM technology alliance for joint semiconductor research and development. The agreement includes CMOS and silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technologies as well as advanced semiconductor research and design to allow transitioning to the 45-nm generation. Freescale is the first technology development partner in the IBM technology alliance to participate in both low-power and high-performance technology R&D, the companies said. Freescale said the alliance will help it strengthen its manufacturing strategy by giving the company access to the manufacturing capacity of IBM's Common Platform partners. The Common Platform provides its semiconductor fabrication partners with synchronized manufacturing processes for flexibility and lower development costs in multisource, high-volume manufacturing.