MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- Preparing for its next growth phase, Korea's Dongbu Electronics Co. Ltd. here announced that it is raising a new round of funding and said it plans to build a 300-mm fab in 2003.
While Dongbu is ramping up its new 8-inch fab in Korea, the silicon foundry startup hopes to break ground on its initial 300-mm plant by late-2003, said Peter Hillen, executive vice president of worldwide business development for Dongbu's U.S. headquarters in Mountain View. The company is based in Eumsung, South Korea.
The 300-mm plant, dubbed Fab 2, will be located near the company's existing 8-inch facility in Eumsung, Hillen said. No other details were given on the 300-mm fab, but analysts believe that this plant will not move into production until 2004.
The company also hopes to raise a new round of capital to fund its foundry operations. In December, it secured $410 million through a syndicated loan, with funding coming from 10 financial institutions led by the Korean Development Bank. In total, Dongbu has raised a total of $1 billion in funding through various sources (see Dec. 6 story ).
Dougbu itself recently moved into production in its sole 8-inch fab, which is processing 0.25- to 0.18-micron wafers right now. The company offers two technologies, including a process licensed from Japan's Toshiba Corp. Dougbu also offers what the company calls a "foundry-compatible" process as well.
Earlier this week, the company said it plans to develop a 0.13-micron process in the third quarter of 2002 (see Feb. 4 story ). "We think our third quarter timing will present an excellent opportunity for us," Hillen said in a presentation at the company's U.S. headquarters here on Tuesday.
Hillen also said the overall foundry business is picking up steam after a tough year in 2001. "The bottom is behind us," he said, noting that there is also growing demand for select process technologies in the market right now. "The 0.25-micron technology is behind us, but 0.18-micron technology is tightening up," he said.
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