After teaming up with Peking University, US-based Agilent Technologies Inc unveiled a SOC (system-on-chip) Testing Education Center and a SOC Testing Engineering Center yesterday to help boost the development of China's semiconductor industry.
"We believe the (Beijing-based) centers will help drive up the semiconductor industry by offering efficient testing and cultivating more talented people," said Hao Yilong, deputy director of the Institute of Microelectronics at Peking University.
According to Hao, the testing engineering center, the first in North China, will offer high-quality analysis services to integrated circuit (IC) design companies in the Beijing area.
It will adopt the Agilent 93000 SOC series test system, one of the most advanced SOC test systems within the industry, a statement from Agilent said.
By using Agilent's 93000 SOC system, featuring highly scalable architecture with upgrade and expansion flexibility, the center is able to test a range of system-level chips, including microprocessor units, high-speed digital ICs, embedded memory and analogue chips.
Sources said there are now more than 100 IC design companies in the nation's capital. However, most of their IC products have to be sent to Shanghai or Taiwan for testing.
As for the testing education center, it will provide services to students at the university as well as people within the sector by offering training and application courses.
It is predicted there will be a demand for 250,000 IC design engineers in China by the end of 2008. In sharp contrast, there are less than 4,000 professionals at present.
Hao believes the lack of people as well as backward SOC testing platforms are the two main reasons hindering the development of the country's semiconductor industry.
Pascal Ronde, vice-president of Agilent Technologies Inc, is optimistic about the outcome from the cooperation.
According to Ronde, the company will continue to enhance its presence in China. But he did not give a detailed outline.
"We need to be a leader in China if we want to continue to be a global leader," he said.
Figures from the Gartner Group show China's semiconductor industry registered a growth of 38.2 percent last year, becoming the largest market in the Asia-Pacific area.
There are about 400 registered IC design companies in the country, which are mainly located in three areas -- Beijing, the Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta.
(China Daily August 21, 2003)
