As mentioned in Micron Technology’s most recent quarterly financial conference call, the deal with Nanya Technology on sub-50nm DRAM design and process technology - signed in March - has progressed to include a new 300mm DRAM manufacturing joint venture, dubbed MeiYa Technology Corporation. 

Both companies will initially own 50 percent of the joint venture, each contributing $550 million in cash to the new business by the end of 2009. The deal also confirms press reports that Nanya is to convert Fab 2, a 200mm DRAM fab, to 300mm wafer fabrication, with conversion starting this year and due to come on-stream sometime in 2009.

“This partnership brings greater scale and efficiency to the DRAM manufacturing operations of both parent companies, and Micron is pleased to officially enter into this joint venture with Nanya,” said Mark Durcan (pictured), Micron’s President and Chief Operating Officer.

“We are sure that MeiYa will demonstrate the synergistic combinations of Nanya and Micron’s strength in the DRAM industry,” said Dr. Jih Lien, Nanya’s President. “Nanya has a very high expectation for this new entity.”

Both companies had previously said that they were planning future 300mm facilities but no groundbreaking timelines had been given. Micron is currently completing the conversion from 200mm to 300mm DRAM production at TECH Semiconductor in Singapore, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Nanya is currently ramping Fab3A, its first 300mm DRAM fab, which started production in the fourth quarter of 2007.