IBM, Sony and Toshiba to Do Research on a New Generation of Computer Chips

By Larry Rulison, Times Union, Albany, N.Y.

Jan. 13–ALBANY — IBM Corp., Sony Corp. and Toshiba Corp. will be doing research on a new generation of computer chips at the University at Albany’s College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering because of a new five-year technology development agreement.

Research under the agreement will also take place at IBM’s facilities in Yorktown Heights and East Fishkill. The companies are working on semiconductor research that will shrink computer chip transistors down to 32 nanometers and smaller. A nanometer is a billionth of a meter. Over the past five years, the companies have worked on 90-nanometer and 65-nanometer technology.

IBM spokesman Glen Brandow said research under the previous five-year agreement had been done in places like Austin, Texas and East Fishkill, but not in Albany.

Alain Kaloyeros, chief administrative officer of the college, said one of the key reasons the companies agreed to the new deal is because they can do research at UAlbany’s $500 million Center for Semiconductor Research, which includes a new 28,000-square-foot clean room facility, where research on advanced semiconductor manufacturing will be done.

He said full-time researchers from Sony and Toshiba will work for the first time at the college. “It’s become a magnet for jobs in New York,” he said.

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