Intel China 12-inch fab in 2010

Intel China 12-inch fab in 2010

Intel expects to skip production at the 90nm process node and go directly to 65nm at the new upcoming Dalian hub

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

BEIJING, CHINA: Intel's Chinese facility for manufacturing 12-inch chips will initially roll out 65nm products. The chip maker's new fab factory will begin operations at the China fab in 2010, Intel has said.

In the process, Intel expects to skip production at the 90nm process node and go directly to 65nm at the new upcoming Dalian hub. The 65nm process node is said to be a cutting-edge chip manufacturing technology approved by the US government.

The chip manufacturer has added that the facility would be ready to go on stream by the end of third-quarter of year 2009. Once the structure is completed, the fourth quarter of this year will see equipment installation to be taken up at the facility.

Intel has reportedly pumped in close to $ 2.5 billion at the new facility and has hired as many as 500 employees. The production ramp up later on would see to it that the manpower would increase to at least 1,500 .

To focus more on chip supply for mainstream PCs such as ultra-slim notebooks, Intel's new upcoming China fab is the chip maker's first 12-inch fab in Asia.

The company had kicked off construction back in 2007 and had earlier planned to make ICs using a 90nm node at the new fab. This was keeping in line with a chip project cooperation deal with the Dalian Municipal Government of China.

©CIOL Bureau