ProMOS Technologies Inc (渿适峞唑) yesterday said it reached an agreement with South Korea＊s Hynix Semiconductor Inc to sever their technological cooperation on next-generation technology.
The decision is likely to pave the way for the nation＊s third-〝biggest computer memory chipmaker to seek an alliance with the 〝government-backed Taiwan Memory Co (TMC, 鷋婼挴樍鐎俖瘃).
ProMOS said the companies＊ boards approved a proposal to end their technological collaboration agreement this year, four years ahead of its 2013 expiration date, ProMOS spokesman Ben Tseng (嚪衈蟛) said by telephone.
※The severance will help us solve the dilemma and will make room for us to better utilize our plant,§ Tseng said. ※We will be free to use the plant＊s [entire] capacity ... ProMOS intends to seek cooperation with TMC [by supplying the capacity].§
The contract ProMOS and 〝Hynix signed last year enabled the Taiwanese firm to use the South Korean company＊s 50-nanometer technology to make PC memory chips at an advanced 12-inch plant, while Hynix would own half of the output.
However, the economic down〝turn has swallowed all the cash ProMOS has generated, making it almost impossible to migrate to 50-nanometer technology, ProMOS said.
Hynix would become purely a shareholder of ProMOS after the technological agreement ends, Tseng said.
Last year, Hynix bought a 8.6-percent stake in ProMOS for NT$3.46 billion (US$105 million) as part of the technological cooperation.
ProMOS shares rose 1.75 percent to NT$1.16 yesterday, while the benchmark TAIEX edged lower 0.06 percent.
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