 Intel Corporation and Micron Technology have concluded the search for the location of their next IM Flash Technologies Joint Venture NAND Flash 300mm facility. Sites had been evaluated in North America, Europe and Asia to house a multi-billion dollar facility that could form the nucleus of a cluster of fabs due to the JV partners' plans to bring on-stream one 300mm NAND Flash fab per year for the foreseeable future.
Groundbreaking is expected in early 2007 and come on stream expected in the second half of 2008, according to the companies. Currently, the JV partners are ramping a shared 300mm fab in Manassas, Virginia, and will start volume production at a 300mm facility in Lehi, Utah, early next year. Singapore was high on the list of possible locations due to the Singapore Government's attractive incentive packages and IP protection laws as well as Micron now having majority share in TECH Semiconductor, which is undergoing a transformation to a 300mm DRAM facility, combining two existing 200mm DRAM facilities into one 300mm fab for Micron's DRAM production needs. "Micron has a long history of conducting business in Singapore with our manufacturing facility there, and this decision with Intel is a natural extension of our positive experience in Singapore," said Steve Appleton, Micron Chairman, CEO and President. "Singapore offers a great place for high technology with well-developed infrastructure and an educated workforce. It's an ideal location for a manufacturing facility." "We are quite pleased with the progress IM Flash Technologies has made in a very short period of time positioning us for future growth in the NAND marketplace," said Brian Harrison, Vice President, General Manager, Flash Memory Group, Intel Corporation. "By executing to our strategy of ramping one 300mm fab per year, we fully expect to become one of the top manufacturers of NAND flash memory." Although the exact size, cost and location details have not yet been disclosed, the TECH Semiconductor facility is located within a 23-acre spread at the Woodlands Wafer Fab Park in the Tampines centre, Singapore and could be the preferred location for the new facility, should space be available. The Singapore Government is especially pleased to have attracted Intel and Micron as it was falling behind in the number of 300mm fabs being located in the country compared to China and especially Taiwan. Siong-Guan Lim, Chairman at the Singapore Economic Development Board, said: "The multi-billion dollar plant will be Singapore's largest NAND flash manufacturing facility when it is fully operational. This investment by Intel and Micron will not only add to the vibrancy of our semiconductor industry, it will also strengthen Singapore's position internationally in the high-growth NAND flash memory market."
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