Irreverence

posted on 21 February 2008 15:08

Toshiba and Sony (and Sony Computer Entertainment) have agreed to form a joint-venture to produce semi-conductors, such as Cell processor chips.

The joint venture, to be named at a later date, will start operation from April 1, 2008 in Nagasaki Technology Center of Sony Semiconductor Kyushu Corporation (SCK). It will be 60% owned by Toshiba, and Sony and SCEI will each take a 20% stake. Within the fiscal year ending March 31, 2008, Toshiba will acquire from Sony and SCK for approximately 90 billion yen, the 300mm wafer line installed in SCK's Nagasaki Technology Center Fab2, with the exception of some equipment, and plans to loan it to the joint venture at the start of operation.

Semiconductors to be manufactured by the joint venture include the "Cell Broadband Engine" (Cell/B.E.) processor, the "RSX" graphics engine and other high-performance semiconductors for Sony Group, as well as Toshiba's SoCs (System on Chip) for applications in digital consumer products.  Manufacturing will start with 65nm process, and the joint venture will promote migration to 45nm process mass production.

Toshiba is moving very quickly on from the HD-DVD debacle.