SMIC, UC-Riverside and SHRIME/PKU launch the Joint Center for ESD Protection Design

SHANGHAI, May 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation ("SMIC", NYSE: SMI; SEHK: 981), China's largest and most advanced semiconductor foundry and one of the world's largest foundries, University of California, Riverside ("UCR"), and Shanghai Research Institute of Microelectronics, Peking University ("SHRIME/PKU"), jointly announced the opening of "the SMIC-UCR-SHRIME/PKU Joint Center For ESD Protection Design" ("ESD Center"). Prof. Yangyuan Wang, an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and former Chairman of the Board of Directors of SMIC, and Dr. Tzu-Yin Chiu, the SMIC CEO, jointly inaugurated the ESD Center at its opening ceremony. Dr. Tianshen Tang, Senior VP of SMIC, Prof. Albert Wang, Director of the Integrated Circuit and System Laboratory at UCR, Prof. Yuhua Cheng, Dean of SHRIME/PKU and other guests from the industry participated in the opening ceremony.

Utilizing the complementary and collective strengths of SMIC, UCR and SHRIME/PKU, the ESD Center aims to develop advanced ESD protection design methodologies, and provide reliable and cost-effective ESD protection solutions for customers through industrial-academic and international collaboration. The ESD Center consists of three sites, located at SMIC, UCR and SHRIME/PKU, which will be jointly managed by three Co-Directors: Dr. Tianshen Tang, Prof. Albert Wang and Prof. Yuhua Cheng, respectively. The ESD Center has an Advisory Board formed by Dr. Tzu-Yin Chiu, Prof. Michael Pazzani (Vice Chancellor of Research and Economic Development of UCR) and Prof. Yangyuan Wang. In addition to the existing collaboration, SMIC will invest at least US$1.5M annually in the next three years including IC fabrication, equipment, engineering resource and funding to support the research activities at the ESD Center, particularly the R&D efforts for on-chip ESD protection for advanced FinFET technologies and RF ICs for wireless communications.

"The semiconductor industry is facing mounting technical challenges, which call for international collaboration to ensure technology advances. Such industrial-academic collaboration will serve to bridge the gap in R&D activities between the academia and the industry and speed-up technology transfers", stated Prof. Yangyuan Wang, who also noted that he highly values the model of international collaboration, and hopes to take advantage of complementary expertise to lead ESD protection R&D activities and accelerate commercialization of the research outcomes. Dr. Tzu-Yin Chiu also highly praised the collaboration efforts. Dr. Chiu said that "one of our missions is to drive technology advancement and provide excellent services to our customers. ESD protection has become so complicated that we must collaborate with the academia at international scale to address the technical challenges. Prof. Albert Wang and Prof. Yuhua Cheng are IEEE Fellows, and Dr. Tang is an industry veteran. I am confident that they will lead the Center to success."

Dr. Tianshen Tang, Prof. Albert Wang and Prof. Yuhua Cheng echoed on the urgent need for comprehensive collaboration in ESD protection designs. Dr. Tang said, "ESD is one of the key factors in the IC design ecosystem. We must continuously invest heavily to provide the better ESD solutions to our customers." With a brief review on global status of ESD protection research activities, Prof. Wang stated that "ESD protection design involves complex multiple coupling effects at process, device, circuit, layout and system levels, which requires comprehensive co-design efforts." Prof. Yuhua Cheng summarized the prior collaboration achievements and outlined the further plan for the ESD Center. He concluded that "Our previous joint work has resulted in encouraging outcomes in ESD protection designs at 28nm technology. We will continue to leverage complementary expertise to develop optimized solutions of ESD protections for future process technologies."

About SMIC

Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation ("SMIC"; NYSE: SMI; SEHK: 981) is one of the leading semiconductor foundries in the world and the largest and most advanced foundry in mainland China. SMIC provides integrated circuit (IC) foundry and technology services at 0.35-micron to 28-nanometer. Headquartered in Shanghai, China, SMIC has a 300mm wafer fabrication facility (fab) and a 200mm mega-fab in Shanghai; a 300mm mega-fab and a second majority owned 300mm fab for advance nodes in Beijing; and 200mm fabs in Tianjin and Shenzhen. SMIC also has marketing and customer service offices in the U.S., Europe, Japan, and Taiwan, and a representative office in Hong Kong.

Safe Harbor Statements
(Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995)

This press release contains, in addition to historical information, "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements, including statements under "Second Quarter 2016 Guidance", "CapEx Summary" and the statements contained in the quotes of our CEO regarding our target for sustained profit, our revenue growth, continued demand strength and high utilization and our strategy to capture growth opportunities brought by specific markets and products are based on SMIC's current assumptions, expectations and projections about future events. SMIC uses words like "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "expect," "project," "target" and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. These forward-looking statements involve significant risks, both known and unknown, uncertainties and other factors that may cause SMIC's actual performance, financial condition or results of operations to be materially different from those suggested by the forward-looking statements including, among others, risks associated with the cyclical nature of the semiconductor industry, changes in demand for our products, competition in our markets, our reliance on a small number of customers, orders or judgments from pending litigation, intensive intellectual property lawsuits in semiconductor industry, financial stability in end markets, general economic conditions and fluctuations in currency exchange rates.

Investors should consider the information contained in SMIC's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including its annual report on 20-F filed with the SEC on April 25, 2016, especially the consolidated financial statements, and such other documents that SMIC may file with the SEC or The Hong Kong Stock Exchange Limited ("SEHK") from time to time, including current reports on Form 6-K. Other unknown or unpredictable factors also could have material adverse effects on SMIC's future results, performance or achievements. In light of these risks, uncertainties, assumptions and factors, the forward-looking events discussed in this press release may not occur. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date stated, or if no date is stated, as of the date of this press release. Except as may be required by law, SMIC undertakes no obligation and does not intend to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SMIC Media Contact:
Terry Ding
Tel: +86-21-3861-0000 x16812
Email: [email protected]

About the University of California, Riverside (UCR)
The University of California opened its doors in 1869. Today, the UC system includes more than 238,000 students and more than 190,000 faculty and staff, with more than 1.7 million alumni living and working around the world. The University of California, Riverside (UCR) is one of 10 universities within the prestigious University of California system. UCR is located in Southern California, approximately 50 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. For more information, please visit www.ucr.edu and www.universityofcalifornia.edu.

UCR Contact:

Office of the Vice Chancellor of Research and Economic Development
+1-951-827-5535

About Shanghai Research Institute of Microelectronics, Peking University (SHRIME/PKU)

Shanghai Research Institute of Microelectronics, Peking University (SHRIME/PKU), is established jointly by Peking University and Shanghai Pudong New District government. SHRIME/PKU aims at research and development of core technologies on microelectronics, and promotes technology transfer to the semiconductor industry. Located in Zhangjiang High Tech Park, SHIRME/PKU started operations in April of 2007. SHRIME/PKU relies on the academic strengths of Peking University and strong supports of Shanghai governments at all levels.

SHRIME/PKU Contact:  

Administration Office of Shanghai Research Institute of Microelectronics, Peking University;
+86-21-6109-1006 x 813.

SOURCE Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation

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