2003/12/18
-----A Significant Step to Become a New Player in the Era of 300mm Wafer Production----
December 15, Taoyuan/Taiwan - Inotera Memories Inc., a joint venture established by Nanya Technology and Infineon Technologies AG, today announced that the production module in HwaYa Technology Park, Taiwan is now “ready for equipment” and the installation for the 300mm wafer manufacturing equipment will commence. This marks an important milestone in Inotera’s development to become a player in the field of 300mm wafer production and the accelerated usage of advanced 300mm wafer equipment for state-of-the art DRAM manufacturing. The entire manufacturing facility is expected to be ready for the first wafer starts in the first quarter of 2004, with volume manufacturing to start in the second half of 2004.
The President of Inotera Memories, Dr. Jih Lien says “The installation of the first 300mm wafer manufacturing equipment is a major milestone. The advanced manufacturing process and the experience in consolidating different production processes, complemented by strong support and service, will enable us to keep up our mass production schedule for DRAMs with the 300mm technology. We will manufacture DRAMs and other related products using state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment and processes. We expect Inotera to be one of the most advanced chip producers on 300mm wafers.”
Dr. Karlheinz Horninger, Executive Vice President of Inotera Memories, states “All of us at Inotera are very proud of this achievement and we want to thank all the companies who have worked hard with us and have supported Inotera. Infineon’s significant lead in the field of 300mm technology is certain to provide Inotera with an impressive technology advantage. We are very happy to see the equipment installed in Inotera’s 300mm factory and are also very confident that the project will progress according to the planned schedule”.
He added: “Infineon is very confident in the future of Taiwan’s semiconductor industry. Inotera, a joint venture with Nanya, is one of the most important investments for Infineon in Asia. Not only are we strategic joint venture partners with Nanya, but we are also collaborating on the R&D of new technology generations.”
The new 300mm semiconductor facility will be constructed in two stages aligned with the growth and development of the world semiconductor market. The first stage, which is scheduled for completion in the second half of 2004, will give the facility an initial monthly capacity of around 20,000 wafer starts per month. Completion of the second stage, currently anticipated in 2006, will increase capacity to around 50,000 wafer starts a month, making the new semiconductor facility one of the world’s largest. The total investment planned in the next three years amounts to around US$ 2.2 billion.
Inotera will adopt Infineon’s 300mm technology, using the 110nm technology for the initial volume ramp. Meanwhile, Nanya and Infineon are co-developing the forward-looking production technologies for 90nm and 70nm process structures which Inotera will introduce into its production within the shortest possible time frame once it becomes available. The new technology will enable Inotera to offer the best selection of products to global customers.
Inotera Memories Inc., located in Taoyuan County, Taiwan, was founded in 2002 as a 50:50 joint venture partnership by Nanya Technology Corporation and Infineon Technologies AG. Inotera will focus on the production of DRAM products based on advanced trench technology. Processing of wafers started in April 2004. This collaboration combines the expertise of Nanya Technologies in mass production and efficient cost reduction capability with Infineon’s world-class technology in 300mm wafer production. For more information please visit: http://www.inotera.com