Former Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電) CEO Rick Tsai (蔡力行) yesterday rejected media speculation that he had been tapped by China’s Tsinghua Unigroup Inc (清華紫光) to help it expand into the contract chip manufacturing business.
Local online news outlet cnyes.com yesterday reported that Beijing-based Tsinghua Unigroup hired Tsai to help build its US$20 billion 12-inch fabs in Chengdu, in China’s Sichuan Province, to rival TSMC.
The speculation triggered widespread concern in local semiconductor circles, given Tsai’s extensive experience in the semiconductor industry.
Last year, Tsinghua Unigroup recruited Charles Kau (高啟全), former chairman of DRAM chipmaker Inotera Memories Inc (華亞科技) and former president of Nanya Technology Corp (南亞科技), to develop its memory business.
“[The report] is groundless,” Tsai said by telephone.
Tsai, 65, stepped down as TSMC chief executive officer in June 2009 and was assigned to lead the chipmaker’s new “green” energy units.
On Monday, Tsai said that he had not ruled out the possibility of restarting his career in the semiconductor industry after ending his chairmanship of Chunghwa Telecom Co (中華電信).
“I still serve as a board director of a European semiconductor company,” Tsai told reporters.
Tsai serves as a nonexecutive director on NXP Semiconductors NV’s board, according to the Netherlands-based firm’s Web site.
Tsai stressed that no Chinese companies had approached him with a job offer, saying: “I am not familiar with Chinese companies.”
TSMC is the world’s largest contract chipmaker, while Tsinghua Unigroup has risen to an important position in the world’s semiconductor industry via mergers and acquisitions.
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