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Technology Stocks : PRI Automation (PRIA) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Ian@SI who wrote (1114)	2/14/2001 9:45:40 AM
From: LemurHouse	Respond to of 1214

I thought there was relatively good news for 300mm and for PRIA in the AMAT conf call yesterday. AMAT's 300mm business was relatively strong, and CEO Morgan indicated that they expect much of the 200mm business that was pushed-out or cancelled to come back as 300mm. He reiterated several times that technology is driving capex right now, not capacity. And that unlike the last downturn, this time the semimanufacturers have money for capex, so its a question of business judgement when the capex happens, not ability. All in all, thought it bodes very well for the future of PRIA.

To: Ian@SI who wrote (1114)	2/15/2001 11:03:34 AM
From: Proud_Infidel	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1214

Good news for PRIA: Chartered speeds up 300-mm plans EBN (02/15/01 06:38 a.m. PST) SINGAPORE -- Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Pte. Ltd. announced it will begin 300-mm wafer production by next year, sooner than originally planned. Revised plans for the Singapore-based foundry's upcoming Fab 7 include foregoing an interim step to ramp 200-mm wafer production, and instead increasing capital investment to fit the factory for 300-mm manufacturing technology. The fab is now expected to cost $3.5 billion, consuming a significant portion of Chartered's capital spending budget for 2001, which is up 30% over last year. In a written statement issued Wednesday (Feb. 14), Chartered said the move will result in a longer life-span for the fab, and position the company well for growth. "Clearly, 300-mm is the manufacturing option of choice for the future, and we are excited to be moving forward with our strategy for capitalizing on the 300-mm market opportunity forecasted to ramp up in mid-2002," said John Docherty, senior vice president of manufacturing operations and technology at Chartered. "Despite short-term uncertainty around the softening in end-market demand, we feel it is important to invest prudently now for the long-term needs of our customers, while retaining our flexibility to respond to their capacity requirement for other production technologies." The 300-mm fab will produce Chartered's most advanced process technologies down to 0.10-micron. The fab's 170,000 square-foot cleanroom will have a maximum production capacity of 30,000 twelve-inch (300-mm) wafers per month. To meet customers' 200mm demands, Chartered said it will maximize its existing capacity, including the scheduled expansion of Fab 6, which was first brought online in 2000. Chartered joins rival foundries Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC) in shifting capacity expansion to 300-mm wafers, and scaling back or canceling 200-mm fab expansion. Earlier, Intel Corp. also changed a planned expansion of its Irish wafer fab from 200-mm to 300-mm wafers, which will result in a year's delay in opening the facility. Subject 50522