Doesn't look like IBM is going to be shedding its fab business as was rumored on the rb simtek board.
Neal
IBM-led consortium to build fab, technology in NY, say reports
By Peter Clarke
Silicon Strategies
01/05/2005, 8:44 AM ET
LONDON — George Pataki, the Governer of New York, is expected Wednesday (Jan. 5) to unveil a plan for an IBM-led consortium that includes AMD, Infineon and Sony to invest more than US$2.5 billion in a wafer fab, according to a Reuters report.
The report also said that lithography equipment maker ASML Holding NV has agreed to create its first research center outside Europe as part of the project and that IBM had pledged to open up a semiconductor production line at the Albany Nanotech research center.
IBM Corp., Sony Corp, Advanced Micro Devices Inc. and Infineon Technologies AG have pledged $1.9 billion to build the core of the investment project — a wafer fab at IBM's existing Fishkill, New York facility, the Reuters report said.
Another report, from the Albany Times Union said that IBM would have six partners in the wafer fab project — Sony, Toshiba, Samsung, Infineon, AMD and Chartered
The investment announcement was due to be made Pataki's annual state-of-the-state speech, the Reuters report said, citing a statement from the governor's office, as its source.
IBM, ASML and Albany have worked together on the development of immersion lithography. IBM is working with Sony to develop a microprocessor called "Cell" which as well as being the engine for Sony's Playstation 3, is expected to vie for dominance of the converged computing and consumer electronics market place. IBM has other processs technology research co-operation agreements with Sony, Toshiba, AMD, Infineon, Samsung and Chartered.
The plant is scheduled to begin operations in the second half of 2005, the reports said but did not make clear whether the fab would be wholly-owned by IBM or owned by a joint-venture company formed by the consortium.
The fab is expected to create 750 jobs directly with another 250 jobs created in related in research projects.
In return for creating up to 1000 jobs in New York state Pataki has promised the state will contribute $150 million. Other companies in the consortium include ASML Holding NV, Applied Materials Inc,. and Tokyo Electron Ltd., the report said.
The Reuters report said ASML has agreed to build its first major research facility outside Europe under the auspices of the scheme and that the center would receive US$400 million from IBM and ASML. Another US$450 million would be allocated by IBM to establish a production line at Albany Nanotech, the report added. |
