Dongbu Group to Begin Producing Non-Memory ICs from 2001
July 6, 2000 (SEOUL) -- Dongbu Group announced July 3 it will enter into the non-memory microchip business through an alliance with Toshiba Corp., with production beginning in 2001.
Toshiba, the world's third-largest semiconductor maker in terms of sales, has agreed to transfer complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) logic processing technology to Dongbu Electronics Co., Ltd. Also, Toshiba will invest US$50 million in the company, which will produce and sell non-memory foundry products from the second quarter of 2001, Dongbu said.
The technology, which is able to handle IC circuit widths of up to 0.13-micron, is designed to make microchips used for central processing units, 3D video processors and digital cameras.
Dongbu had already spent US$200 million in 1997 in the business arena. Also, Dongbu plans to invest additional funds to be raised through equity participation by domestic and overseas semiconductor makers and investors, it said. The company said it is in final talks with foreign investors to secure substantial funds.
The foundry business will process silicon wafers and make microchips at the request of customers. Companies based in Taiwan control more than three quarters of global demand for such products.
The initial monthly production at Dongbu Electronics is slated to be about 20,000 units of 8-in. wafers and its output will be expanded to 45,000 wafers a month by 2003, the company said.
(Maeil Business Newspaper, Korea) |
