Intel Produces Pentium Chip at Expanded Manufacturing Plant in Hudson, Mass.
Dec 13, 2001 (The Telegraph - Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News via COMTEX)
-- Intel Corp. is now making its Pentium 4 microprocessor chip at its expanded
manufacturing space in Hudson, Mass., using its advanced 0.13-micron process.
Intel has invested $1.5 billion in the past two years to expand manufacturing
space, converting a lot of unused space to state-of-the-art clean rooms that are
necessary for integrated circuit chip manufacturing process.
The manufacturing plant contains approximately 95,000 square feet of clean room
space and employs more than 1,700 people.
"Intel's 0.13-micron process means each chip has more, smaller and faster
transistors, which increases performance while requiring less power and reducing
manufacturing costs," said Gad Dvir, plant manager of Intel's Hudson site.
The copper-based 0.13-micron process can build the world's fastest transistors
currently in production, providing the basis for fast microprocessors, including
Intel's Pentium 4. The process can build circuits so small that it would take
roughly 1,000 of them to equal the thickness of a human hair.
The manufacturing plant contains approximately 95,000 square feet of clean room
space and employs more than 1,700 people.
"Intel now has four factories running the 0.13-micron process," Dvir said. "This
reflects our commitment to remain the leader in semiconductor manufacturing and
technology. Two more Intel manufacturing sites will add 0.13-micron technology
next year." The Hudson, Mass. plant now joins factories in Hillsboro, Ore.,
Santa Clara, Calif., and Chandler, Ariz., using the process.
Two more Intel sites will add 0.13-micron manufacturing process in 2002, with
another in Oregon, and one in New Mexico.
"Intel's core competencies in manufacturing give us a competitive advantage
through the scale of our operations, the agility of our factory network and
consistent execution worldwide," Dvir said.
Fab 17 is located on Intel's 149-acre Hudson campus, acquired from Digital
Equipment Corporation in 1998.
As it expands volume manufacture of advanced Pentium microprocessors, the Hudson
site continues to build and support Intel IXP1200 network processors,
microprocessors for hand-held computing and other products.
Intel's Massachusetts Development Center, also based in Hudson, has grown to
more than 400 engineers and software developers. Intel also has a Nashua office
with about 30 employees, most of whom are network software engineers, and is
considered an extension of the Hudson, Mass., center.
The new Massachusetts Microprocessor Development Center in Shrewsbury opened
this past August, and employs 200 former members of the Compaq Alpha
microprocessor development team who joined Intel in August. Intel's total
employment in Massachusetts now exceeds 3,000.
Intel, the world's largest chip maker, is also a leading manufacturer of
computer, networking and communications products. |
