AMD, IBM Plan To Extend Cooperative Research

AMD and IBM are extending their existing cooperative agreement in which AMD has been paying IBM more than $200 million to the year 2011, according to published reports in the U.S. and Europe.

The agreement has covered the development of new manufacturing technologies for processors and chips. Initially signed in 2002, the agreement was originally scheduled to expire in 2005, then 2008.

AMD has had a team of engineers working at IBM manufacturing plants in East Fishkill, N.Y. and the new arrangement is said to involve AMD supplying engineers to work at IBM research facilities in Yorktown Heights and Albany, N.Y. AMD has been ramping up its manufacturing plant in Dresden, Germany, for manufacture of 65-nanometer process semiconductors.

The two firms have been collaborating on 65 nanometer manufacturing technology and the new extended arrangement is said to call for the firms to work together on 45-nonometer, 32-nanometer, and 22-nanometer production processes, according to the Wall Street Journal.