 Inotera has revealed its capital spending plans for 2006 as part of its assessment of its first quarter financial results. The Joint Venture memory manufacturer stated that it plans to spend approximately $840 million US dollars this year, an increase of 17 percent over 2005, which will be allocated towards 90nm DRAM migration at its 60,000wspm plus 300mm facility, Fab-1 as well as the construction and facilities installation for Fab-2, currently under construction.
The funds will also be allocated towards initial tool installation at Fab-2, which is planned to begin in November, 2006 and continue through to the second quarter of 2007.
Fab-1 is currently operating at 62,000wspm, slightly higher than the company expected full capacity figures to be possible. The company also stated that its board of directors has approved capital expenditures of $1.25 billion US dollars expressly for the initial ramp at Fab-2 between November 2005 and the second quarter of 2007. This will allow Fab-2 have an initial ramp target of 30,000wspm starting wafer outs using 90nm technology sometime in first quarter 2007. The Company expects that Fab-1 and Fab-2 will reach a combined capacity of 92,000wspm by the end of the year 2007. Inotera's ramp rate for Fab-2 is therefore in line with that achieved by Fab-1, which achieved an average 3,000wspm ramp rate, one of the fasted and most sustained 300mm wafer ramps so far achieved by any 300mm fab. Fab-1 is also currently the largest 300mm fab at full capacity in the world today.
Caption: Picture shows vertical batch furnace line (TEL) within Inotera's Fab-1. This is one of two images released for the first time showing part of the cleanroom area within the 300mm DRAM fab.
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