KUALA LUMPUR: Dagang NeXchange Bhd (DNeX) business unit, SilTerra Malaysia Sdn Bhd (SMSB), has entered into a multi-year wafer supply and purchase agreement with ILI Technology Corp (ITC), a touch controller and integrated driver circuit (IC) fabless design house based in Taiwan.
Under the agreement terms, SMSB will work with ITC on technology development and wafer manufacturing for touch controller and display driver (IC) for the industrial and home appliance markets.
Both companies will continue to work closely on product development and mass production based on SMSB's high-voltage 0.16um and 0.13um technology platforms.
High-voltage technology is one of SMSB's most successful and important enabling technologies for the global display driver IC markets for small panels like wearables and mobile devices, medium panels like monitors, and large panels like TVs.
Dagang NeXchange Bhd (DNeX) group managing director Tan Sri Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir said the agreement marked a significant milestone in SMSB's aspiration to become a world leader in the global semiconductor market in terms of operational excellence and technology advancement.
Syed Zainal, who is also executive chairman of SMSB, said that as part of the company's transformation, the new shareholders are leading the company to ready market access by leveraging on our network, including strategic customers and long-term supplier contracts.
"In addition, we are continuously committed to expanding SMSB's production capacity and technology capabilities in the global semiconductor industry," he said.
Syed Zainal said the agreement would help SMSB secure a stable wafer loading, ensuring sustainable growth for the company going forward.
In addition, the partnership will also cover joint technology and market development to grow SilTerra's business and market share in the industrial touch controller market, he added.
ITC has been SMSB's long term technology and business partner since 2006, and this agreement marks another milestone for both companies.