Founded in December 1998, the company is a joint venture between NXP Semiconductors (until 2006 semiconductor division of Philips) and TSMC. Key technologies that the organisation specializes in range from 0.25-micron to 0.14-micron that support logic, embedded flash memory, mixed signal and RF applications.[2] In addition to manufacturing, the company also offers commercial advice and support services to customer's business process.
In 2006, both NXP and TSMC increased their shares in the company to 61.2% and 38.8% respectively by purchasing shares held by EDB Investments.[3][4]
Facilities
Systems on Silicon Manufacturing frequently upgrades their manufacturing capabilities and products which are influenced by the demand cycles of the semiconductor industry. In 2007, the company established a research and development center to develop specialized manufacturing process, automotive, near field communication and RF markets.[5] In 2010, SSMC shifted its focus from producing chips catering to devices such as, smartphones and laptops, to high-performance mixed signal (HPMS) semiconductor chips, which are mostly used in biometric passports, to support technology applications aimed at solving everyday challenges.[6][7]
A new plant was constructed at a cost of S$2 billion, the gross floor area of the plant is about 90,000 square metres (970,000 sq ft). Construction of the plant started in 2000 and was completed by 2001, with a production output of 30,000 wafers per month.[8] The manufacturing facilities are upgraded constantly to meet market demands and in 2010, its monthly production capacity increased to 53,000 wafers.[7]
In late 2018, SSMC expanded their automotive and specialty chip manufacturing footprint in Singapore with a S$300 million 4,400 square metres (47,000 sq ft) clean room.[9]