UMC and AMD to collaborate on 300-MM wafer fabrication facility in Singapore

UMC and AMD will establish a joint 300-mm wafer fabrication facility in Singapore.  The new joint venture is to be named as AU Partnership Lt. UMC and AMD expect to production in the facility on 65-nanometer technology in mid-2005. UMC has won over the third international IDM to establish a facility under strategic alliances after it separately collaborated with Japan Hitachi and German Infineon Technologies AG to establish 300-mm wafer fabrication facilities. 

W.J. Anders III, chairman and chief executive officer of AMD said that “Today’s agreement reflects an innovative response to the tectonic shift that has changed the fundamental economics of the worldwide semiconductor industry. The advent of manufacturing ushers in a new era for the semiconductor industry. Megafabs of producing complex semiconductor devices in huge volume on advanced process technologies will deliver significant economic benefits, but also entail significant investment that demands efficient use of capital…..” (*quoted from the news offered on UMC’s website) Robert Tsao, chairman and chief executive officer of UMC said that “This is the first agreement under which a premier foundry company joins forces in a broadly unified partnership with a leading integrated device manufacturer…I expected that our collaboration will set an example for success between pure-play foundries and leading semiconductor manufacturers….” (*quoted from the news offered on UMC’s website)

Source: Commercial Times 02/02/2002