Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD)

[Elmer Phud]

kpf -

Sorting is done in the backend. AMD would always know exactly the yields. But IBM as well needs to know all data of it to be able to improve their process. Apart from the business-model, outsourcing needs a very close collaboration.

I'm sure you know IBM's procedures better than I do but I wouldn't think they need to monitor every product so closely. A alternative would be to pick the highest volume product and concentrate on it. Whatever process improvements or controls needed to improve yield on that product would naturally trickle down to the other products as well, assuming all products used the same design rules. Sort of the design version of "copy exactly".

As for keeping things confident, there are always people who know exactly. I would assume the (very few) ones at IBM who need to know are as trustworthy than the (very few) at AMD.

The word you want to use here is "confidential".