《TAIPEI TIMES》 MediaTek forms strategic partnership to make chips using Intel’s technology

By Lisa Wang / Staff reporter

Chip designer MediaTek Inc （聯發科） has formed a strategic partnership with Intel Corp to manufacture chips using the US company’s 16-nanometer process technology as the Taiwanese firm aims to build more resilient and balanced foundry sources, the companies said yesterday.

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“Building on the existing 5G data card venture with Intel, MediaTek is extending the partnership into Intel Foundry Service （IFS） to mature Intel 16 node to support our fast-growing smart edge devices,” MediaTek said in a joint statement.

“In addition to maintaining a close partnership with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co [TSMC, 台積電] in advanced process nodes, this collaboration [with Intel] will enhance MediaTek’s supply for mature process nodes,” the company said. “We believe this collaboration will help our further market expansion in global smart edge devices”

MediaTek is one of the early adopters of TSMC’s most advanced process technologies such as 4-nanometer and 7-nanometer technologies to build their smartphone chips.

MediaTek is “our long-term customer and we have a strong partnership in advanced technology collaboration. There is no impact on TSMC’s business with MediaTek,” TSMC said of MediaTek’s deal with Intel.

MediaTek has long adopted a multi-sourcing strategy, N.S. Tsai （蔡能賢）, corporate senior vice president of the firm’s platform technology and manufacturing operations, said in the statement.

The company already partners with Intel on the 5G data card business, and aims to deepen their collaboration to smart edge devices through IFS, Tsai said.

Intel established IFS last year to help meet rising demand for advanced semiconductor manufacturing capacity. The company recently announced factory expansions at existing sites, as well as plans for major investments in new sites in Ohio and Germany.

“We have the right combination of advanced process technology and geographically diverse capacity to help MediaTek deliver the next billion connected devices across a range of applications,” IFS president Randhir Thakur said in the joint statement.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES