Online information source for semiconductor professionals
Micron gains 60,000wspm from Inotera share purchase
Popular articles
New Product: Applied Materials new EUV reticle etch system provides nanometer-level accuracy - 19 September 2011
Oberai discusses Magma’s move into solar PV yield management space - 29 August 2008
â??Velocityâ?? the new buzzword in Intelâ??s PQS annual awards - 12 April 2012
Applied Materials adds Jim Rogers to Board of Directors - 29 April 2008
New Product: ASML Brionâ??s Tachyon MB-SRAF enables OPC-like compute times - 19 September 2011
With the purchase of Qimonda AGs 35.6 percent ownership stake in Inotera Memories for $400 million, Micron Technology has acquired access to 50 percent of Inotera’s 120,000wspm (wafer starts per month) DRAM memory capacity from two 300mm fabs based in Taiwan. The purchase will also see Micron transfer its Stack DRAM process technology to Inotera as part of the deal with Nanya, Inotera’s other major share holder.
In a separate joint venture operation between Micron and Nanya, dubbed MeiYa, the partners have decided to put on hold the conversion of a 200mm DRAM fab previously used by Nanya to 300mm production.
“This new relationship with Inotera will increase Micron’s competitiveness by further leveraging our current MeiYa joint venture with Nanya,” said Steve Appleton, Micron Chairman and CEO. “Micron will gain greater scale in DRAM, reduce our operating expenses per wafer and have access to a very cost competitive operation.”
Micron is paying the $400 million to Qimonda in two $200 million phases. The first is expected to be conducted in the next week and the second following certain government approvals and other customary conditions. Micron has obtained $285 million in term loan financing commitments from ‘strategic sources’ at favorable terms the company has said.
In a seperate announcement, Qimonda’s 50 percent memory capacity at Inotera will be phased-out over the next 8 months.