Thursday, November 10, 2011

LFoundry Develops CIS Process

LFoundry plans to extend its 0.15um process offering with pinned photodiode, BSI and microlens in 2012, so that it becomes a viable CIS foundry:


LFoundry was founded in 2008 on the former Renesas fab located in Landshut, Germany. In 2010 LFoundry acquired the Atmel’s Rousset, France fab. The German facility supports up to 0.15um process, while the French fab process goes down to 0.11um.


Update: As somebody said in comments, a few days ago EETimes wrote that LFoundry went bankrupt.

Update #2: EETimes writes that LFoundry German fab is insolvent, while the French fab continues operations. Only 60 employees out of 295 remain at Landshut fab, the rest have already been laid off. "The decision has been made to shut down the fab and sell off the equipment," Michael Lehnert, CEO of Lfoundry GmbH, said. It appears that CIS development was planned for the now defunct Landshut fab.

10 comments:

  1. No pinned diode, microlenses or BSI in 2011 and in 2012 they will develop all this. Why did TSMC, Sony, Aptina, ... spend all these years developing BSI if it can be done in a few months?

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  2. They are talking up the fab: An insolvency administrator in Germany is deciding the fate of an Lfoundry fab in Landshut.
    see http://confidential.eetimes.com/news-updates/4230393/German-Foundry-Faces-Bankruptcy

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  3. It seems too late esp by 2013 I dont think 0.11um will be that relevant in mobile sensor world. Perhaps okay for lower volume stuff. Just seems like a bad idea esp if they dont plan to scale down 65nm and smaller...

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  4. there is a small difference betwee: "will do" and "have done". Wait and see...

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  5. The LFoundry Fab in Landshut would not have become insolvent, if there were enough working processes and products. The responsibility for developing the processes and acqusition of new costomers had and still has LFoundry itself. So everybody can judge easily the real problems of LFoundry. The fab in Rousset still profits from the utilization of former owner Atmel. If this is gone, you can estimate the future of that site.
    So many words and promises, but nothing real behind.It is just overestimation..

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  6. This is only a release plan. Maybe they develop since years...

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  7. Looking from another point of view L foundry coul'd take a change on cmos production acquiring Micrn Fab in Italy where the production is dedicate and reserved to aptina.
    It could be a fast way to get in the cmos market closing a deal with aptina and buy fab & production of the Micron Italy also 'cause it look like that Micron want leave from Italy....

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  8. OK, Micron is the next one. Look at the fab in Landshut, later on look at the fab in Rousset, and finally Micron. What do you believe...?
    Grasshopping to the next trial.

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  9. To acquire Micron we are talking about a lot of money and i don't think that L-Foundry has enough "cash" to think about this action....plus, the sensor's are Aptina patent and not Micron.....bye

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  10. we are not talking about the acquiring of whole Micron, L-Foundry want to buy only the Italy fab, as they have done with Atmel's fab. At this moment Italian Micron fab has a capacity of 90 nm. Hope they will not close also this fab as they have done with the German one.

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