Agere Delivers Low-K Dielectric, 0.13 Micron DSP, Outsources Fabrication to TSMC

Agere Systems delivered a production-qualified communications chip based on, low-k dielectric 130 nanometer (nm) (0.13 micron) technology that significantly accelerates chip speed and reduces power consumption for wireless base stations. The copper interconnect in the integrated circuit is separated by a thin layer of insulation dielectric film material. The new DSP16411 chip operates 20% faster (285 MHz) and with 20% less power (1.2volts) than competing solutions. It also has 66% more memory than Agere's previous generation device. Agere's newest DSP chip for wireless base stations also marks a significant shift for the company towards a fabless model of operation - the new chip is being produced by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). Agere said it plans to use the TSMC 130 nm process technology with low-k dielectrics to produce several other types of chips, including ASICs, network processors, switching chips, and framers.
http://www.agere.com