Taipei,Oct.18,2012--Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.(TSMC)has set up complete manufacturing eco system for Apple's application-specific IC(ASIC)contracts,in which Intel Corp.is also reportedly interested,according to Taiwan's industry executives.
While expanding IC design team to develop more tailor-made chips for iPads and iPhones,Apple has poached former Samsung chip designer Jim Mergard.
Inside iPhone 5 there are many application-specific chips,including A6 micro processor developed by Apple itself as well as power management ICs and audio chips developed by Apple in cooperation with Dialog and Cirrus,respectively.
Industry executives pointed out that over the past half year Apple has taken on former AMD chip designer John Bruno and Jim Mergard to join its chip design team,indicating the company's development of processors for its products.
Over the past few years,Apple has acquired several fabless IC companies,including the 2008 acquisition of P.A.Semi and the 2010 acquisition of Intrinsity.A6 for iPhone is reportedly designed by P.A.Semi.
While expanding in-house design team and stripping foundry orders away from Samsung,Apple is vigorously cooperating with TSMC and reported to introduce A7 processor in the second half of next year using TSMC's 20nm process.
TSMC,currently the world's No.1 pure silicon foundry,has retooled its Fab 15 300mm wafer fab to fit production of ARM-licensed processors,which are widely adopted by smartphone and tablet PC makers.
Intel is a potential rival to TSMC in the competition for Apple ASIC contracts,according to industry executives.
Suppliers of Apple iPhone 5 core logic chips
Chip spec
Designer
Foundry
Packaging and test house
IC substrate supplier
ARM-based A6 processor
Apple
Samsung
Amkor
Ibiden,SEMCO
Power IC for A6 core
Dialog
TSMC
Siliconware
Kinsus
3G/4G LTE baseband chip
Qualcomm
TSMC
ASE
Kinsus
Power IC for baseband chip
Qualcomm
TSMC
ASE
Kinsus
Wireless networking combo chip
Broadcom
TSMC,UMC
ASE,Siliconware
Kinsus
Audio Codec chip
Cirrus Logic
TSMC
Siliconware
Kinsus
Sources:the companies
