Fabless semiconductor company Spreadtrum Communications and TSMC today unveiled their achievement on the first commercialized 40nm Time Division - Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA) baseband processor.

First time silicon success for this baseband processor was achieved by the two companies jointly optimizing design, process and manufacturing. The chip is in initial production at Fab 12, one of TSMC?s GIGAFAB facilities in Taiwan.

The new processor supports TD-SCDMA and other telecommunication 3.75G to 2G specifications including High-Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA), Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). It also features up to a 2.8Mbps bandwidth that is more than one hundred times faster than the 2G standard.

The baseband processor leverages TSMC?s 40nm low power (40LP) process technology to extend battery lifetime in mobile telecommunication. The 40LP process also supports other leakage-sensitive applications such as application processor, portable consumer and wireless connectivity devices.