TSMC Unveils the Foundry Industry's First Free IP Prototyping Program

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 22, 2003--TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) (TSE:2330)(NYSE:TSM), the worldwide dedicated foundry leader, today announced QuickStart(SM), the industry's only free IP Prototyping Program. Designed to accelerate chip prototyping to production and to shorten design cycle time, QuickStart(SM) includes a pool of silicon-validated free IP from TSMC and selected third party providers. Under the program, qualified customers do not pay license payments to participating IP providers until their design begins production.

"We want to fast-track SOC innovation to silicon as quickly as possible," said Ed Chen, director of design services and e-Services marketing at TSMC. "With TSMC's QuickStart(SM) program, customers can significantly reduce their risk and time associated with IP sourcing."

Initially, QuickStart(SM) offers qualified customers free access to selected IP for prototype design from leading TSMC IP partners, including Cadence Design Systems, Mentor Graphics, Barcelona Design, and from TSMC's internal IP portfolio. Samples of IP available from the QuickStart(SM) program include embedded CPU cores, PCI-Express, USB OTG Controller, 3.125GbSerDes, Ethernet MAC, Synthesizable PLL, USB, LVDS, SSTL2, HSTL Specialty IO, and many others to be announced.

TSMC's CyberShuttle Program, which allows prototype designers to share the cost of a common mask set with other designs, is key to validation of QuickStart(SM) powered prototypes.

About TSMC

TSMC is the world's largest dedicated semiconductor foundry, providing the industry's leading process technology and the foundry industry's largest portfolio of process-proven library, IP, design tools and reference flows. The company operates one advanced 300mm wafer fab, six eight-inch fabs and one six-inch wafer fab. TSMC also has substantial capacity commitments at two joint ventures fabs (Vanguard and SSMC) and at its wholly-owned subsidiary, WaferTech. In early 2001, TSMC became the first IC manufacturer to announce a 90-nanometer technology alignment program with its customers. TSMC's corporate headquarters are in Hsin-Chu, Taiwan. For more information about TSMC, go to http://www.tsmc.com.

CONTACT: TSMC North America
             Dan Holden, 408/382-8000
             Cell phone: 408/910-1141
             Dholden@tsmc.com