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S KOREA'S SAMSUNG TO INVEST IN ALL SEMICONDUCTOR FIELDS
SEOUL, Dec 16, 1999 (AsiaPulse via COMTEX) -- Samsung Electronics
(KSE: 05930) says it will aggressively invest in all semiconductor
fields including memory, non-memory and liquid crystal display (LCD).
Samsung will invest $1.8 billion to make its tenth production line in
the second semiconductor manufacturing base in Kiheung, Kyonggi
province, by September next year. It will start producing 128MB and
256MB semiconductors as well as Rambus random access memory chips by
the end of next year.
Eight production lines will be made in the Kiheung plant. A total of 32,
000 eight-inch wafers can be processed every month in the tenth line,
which will be equipped with the most precise 0.15 micrometer-wide
semiconductor circuit line.
"Samsung, which plans to secure super-microprocessing technology of
0.10 to 0.12 micrometer within one year, will be the leader in in DRAM,
SRAM and flash memory fields if the tenth line is completed," Samsung
Electronics President Lee Yoon-woo said.
The company will pour US$2.2 billion in facility investment, including
in the tenth line, and $600 million in research and development next
year.
New lines in the second manufacturing base are expected to create up to
10,000 jobs by 2005.
Samsung expects semiconductor sales of $9.3 billion this year - $6
billion in the memory sector, $2.2 billion in LCDs and $1.1 billion in
non-memory.
It will also invest 1.3 trillion won ($1.1 billion in the non-memory
field) by 2002 so that non-memory sales will reach $4 billion by 2005.
The company expects its semiconductor sales next year to grow 15
percent or more from this year.
Meanwhile, Hyundai Electronics Industries (00660) will invest $1.35
billion to improve its semiconductor manufacturing facilities that were
owned by the now-defunct LG Semicon by next year.
Its wafer production capability will be 30 percent higher than that of
Samsung if the facilities are improved.
Hyundai is also considering setting up new lines if the semiconductor
market gets better next year.
Yonhap
(C) 1999 Asia Pulse Pte Ltd
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