Panasonic and Renesas Technology have extended their ongoing semiconductor technology collaboration to include the development of process technologies for next-generation 32nm system-on-chip (SoCs) devices.

This is the latest in a stream of 32nm process technology moves, which indicates that even in these times of financial turmoil chip companies continue with their long-term technology plans.

Last month, foundries TSMC and IBM both made important commitments for the introduction of 32nm and even 28nm process technologies.   

The realities of the incredibly high cost of semiconductor process technology development sees all but the largest chip suppliers, namely Intel, TSMC, IBM and Texas Instruments, sharing the cost of developing 32nm process technology in joint ventures.

Renesas and Panasonic have been collaborating on chip technologies for more than five years. They have developed a 130nm DRAM composite process in 2001, a 90nm SoC process in 2002, a 90nm DRAM composite process in 2004, a 65nm SoC process in 2005, and a 45nm SoC process in 2007.

The 32nm SoC process a different type of transistor process technology with a metal/high-k gate stack structure and interconnect technology, using a new ultra-low-k material.

Panasonic and Renesas said their aim is to develop process technology that can be quickly moved to mass production.