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ProMOS' China investment approved

ProMOS Technologies Inc (茂德科技), the nation's third-largest maker of computer memory chips, yesterday gained government approval to manufacture chips using the advanced 0.18-micron process technology in China.

ProMOS will be the second local chipmaker approved to use the 0.18-micron technology in China. The government on March 20 gave a green light to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world's largest contract chipmaker, to use the 0.18-micron technology in its production site in China.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs lifted the ban on the chipmaking process at the end of last year. In 2002, the ministry approved TSMC to manufacture chips using its 0.25-micron-and-above process technology in China.

In a regular meeting to review Taiwanese firms' investments in China yesterday, the ministry's Investment Commission approved an application filed in February by ProMOS to upgrade its processing technology in China from 0.25 micron to 0.18 micron.

ProMOS vice president Jessie Peng (彭卓蘭) said in December that the company planned to use the facility to make chips used in consumer electronics such as mobile phones.

The company had said earlier that it expected the US$365 million project to be completed in the first half of this year, and to start operation next year.
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