NVIDIA to Manufacture Next-Generation Graphics Processors at IBM’s East Fishkill Facility!

by Anton Shilov
03/26/2003 | 03:03 AM

5 companies among Top 10 fables semiconductor firms, including NVIDIA Corporation, reportedly signed a multi-year foundry agreement with IBM, who tries to find customers for its 300mm facility in East Fishkill, New York. It is currently said that NVIDIA will make one or more GeForce FX-series graphics processors at IBM, but will not break the relationship with TSMC.

NVIDIA will utilise IBM’s 0.13 micron fabrication process with fluorinated silicate glass (FSG) dielectric. The first products made using the new technology are expected to appear in Summer 2003. It was not said which members of the GeForce FX family will be made at East Fishkill, NY, but keeping in mind that NVIDIA had no intentions to sell a lot of the current high-end GPUs GeForce FX 5800, it is logical to assume that the company will manufacture the successor of the NV30, dubbed NV35, at IBM’s foundry.

It was indicated that most of the problems with TSMC’s 0.13 micron process technology have been resolved by now, hence, agreement with IBM will mostly impact NVIDIA’s long-term business plans, rather than influence the current state of the things. An NVIDIA’s representative added that IBM and TSMC will not make the same processors.

At the moment any additional details about the agreement are absent, however, it is expected that more facts will emerge tomorrow after NVIDIA’s meeting with analysts.