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Dopo mesi di trattative, Infineon ha firmato un accordo con Nanya per lo sviluppo di tecnologie di produzione di chip a 0.09 micron e 0.07 micron.

After four months of negotiations, Infineon Technologies signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Taiwan-based Nanya Technology to jointly develop advanced 0.09- and 0.07-micron production technologies and establish their first joint 12-inch fab in the Hwaya Technology Park in Linkou, Taoyuan County in October.

This cooperation with Nanya would see InfineonÂ’s market share multiply by the end of next year, stated Infineon senior vice president Harald Eggers. The two parties will jointly develop next-generation standard DRAM trench memory chip technology and share annual R&D costs that could run as high as NT$10 billion, he said.

Nanya will station researchers in InfineonÂ’s 12-inch fab in Dresden, Germany for development of new technologies. Infineon will license 0.09-micron trench DRAM technology to Nanya for use in current 8-inch fabs, and as volume production of the next- generation DRAM chips will be launched through joint development, Nanya will not need to pay licensing fees to Infineon.

Nanya president Jih Lien indicated that the new company will begin construction through Nanya in July before continuing under the new companyÂ’s name in October. Infineon and Nanya will claim equal share in the new joint venture, with financial terms to be decided at next weekÂ’s meeting. According to sources, Nanya will maintain management control of the new company, staffing the positions of president and vice president from the ranks of current Nanya executives.

According to Lien, the 12-inch fab will begin production using 0.09-micron technology in 2003 and expects to produce 20,000 wafers per month in the second half of 2004.

If market demand cooperates, Lien predicts monthly production to reach as high as 40,000 wafers.

As the fab will cost an estimated US$2 billion, Nanya will raise capital expenditures this year to NT$10 billion from the originally planned NT$3 billion, with NT$6 billion of the sum used to renovate older 8-inch fabs to upgrade DRAM volume production technology, Nanya indicated. The remaining NT$4 billion will be applied entirely toward construction of the 12-inch fab. Nanya will raise funds by issuing GDRs (global depositary receipts).

Fonte:DigiTimes