HILLSBORO, Ore. — Intel Corp. said that it is considering a plan to build a new development fab in Oregon, which could possibly become the world’s first 450-mm facility.
During a press and analyst conference here on Wednesday (Nov. 30), officials from Intel acknowledged that the chip giant has the so-called D1E wafer fab on its manufacturing roadmap in Hillsboro. Reports have recently surfaced about the proposed and advanced D1E fab (see Nov. 30 story).
The D1E fab is expected to be located near the company’s D1D plant, a 300-mm facility that is manufacturing 65-nm designs. The DID fab, which has been in production since 2003, is also the key R&D site for chips based on 45-nm process technologies.
Intel is still in the planning stages with the D1E fab. It is unclear if D1E would become a 300- or 450-mm fab. A decision could be reached within the next two or so years.
The company said it would consider turning D1E into a 450-mm fab — depending on market requirements and if the appropriate tools are ready.
The shift towards 450-mm wafer fabs is expected to be a major challenge. In addition to the astronomical costs, few — if any — chip-equipment vendors can afford to build 450-mm tools.
Still, Intel claims 450-mm fabs are inevitable. “Some day, it will happen,” said Andy Bryant, senior vice president and chief financial officer of Intel, during a presentation at the company’s manufacturing and technology summit. “I don’t want to debate when that will happen.”
RSS
Digital
10 emerging technologies to watch:
EE Times has compiled a list of emerging technologies that we think will be worth watching out for in 2010. Biofeedback or thought-control of electronics are among the contenders.
10 CEOs out in 2009:
It's been a tough year for the global electronics industry and CEOs. We survey the dismissal of 10 industry CEOs during the first three quarters of 2009 and what's ahead for the rest of the year.
Executive pay:
The economy stinks. Rank-and-file engineers are feeling the pain. What about technology CEOs? We crunched the numbers buried in corporate financial statements to find out. Here's what we found.
10 companies in trouble (revisited):
What follows is an updated version of 10 companies in trouble. Some companies have been removed since the last version, others remain. Still others have been added to the mix.
Early predictions for 2010:
The electronics industry is recovering, but there is still some uncertainty in the market. Some see a boom year in 2010. Some see a double dip. So what's in store for the rest of this year and 2010?
Top 10 IC vendors with cash:
The world's biggest IC companies by revenue rank not only among the best in their respective industry segments but are also more likely to have huge piles of cash that can be used to fund acquisitions, R&D and product development.
Notable women in microelectronics:
There is no better time than a global economic recession to examine the keys to successful corporate governance. So, EE Times has compiled an international list that celebrates women who are business and technology leaders in semis.
EE Times updates Silicon 60:
Seventeen companies have been added to the lastest version of our Silicon 60 list of emerging startups. Forty-three companies survived as emerging companies that are still worth watching.
RSS| 
Digital| 
Mobile
