Italy, France, and Phoenix considered for STMicro's 300-mm fab
By Mark LePedus
Semiconductor Business News
(12/12/00 15:27 p.m. PST)
SEDONA, Ariz. -- After entering into a 300-mm pilot line partnership with Philips Semiconductors last spring, STMicroelectronics intends to build its own, separate 300-mm wafer fab in the 2003-04 timeframe, said a company official today.
Last April, ST and Philips set plans to invest $700 million in 300-mm pilot line fab, located in Crolles, France. The facility will develop 0.10-micron processes for 12-inch diameter substrates (see April 13 story).
While the ST/Philips 300-mm fab remains on track, STMicroelectronics will also build its own 300-mm plant for production purposes, said Philippe Magarshack, vice president and director of design automation for integrated systems at the company. Recently, Philips Semiconductors officials said the Dutch chip maker was also now looking for a separate 300-mm production site (see Oct. 6 story).
At present, ST is in the process of selecting a site for this 300-mm fab. The company has narrowed the choices to Italy, France, or even Phoenix, Ariz., Magarshack said. "There's no question that we will have a second 300-mm fab," he said in an interview with SBN, at a technical conference hosted by the company at a resort in Sedona.
The European chip maker will make its site selection known in thenext three months, he said. In any event, it is looking to bring this site up in the 2003 or 2004 time frame, he said.
At present, meanwhile, ST, along with Philips, is beginning to construct the 300-mm wafer pilot line fab in Crolles. "We will put the equipment in mid-2001," he said. "We expect the first wafers will come out in the second half of 2002."
Despite what seems like an aggressive rush to 300-mm fabs, ST remains conservative about the subject. "We are not taking the lead in 300-mm," he said. "The DRAM suppliers are ahead of us, which is what we want. That way, they can de-bug the tools." |
