Former Nanya Technology Corp (南亞科技) president Charles Kau (高啟全) has teamed up with Taiwanese semiconductor equipment maker Scientech Corp (辛耘) to invest in LVG Semiconductor (Huangshi) Co Ltd (祿億半導體) in China to provide wafer reclamation services there.
In a rare appearance in Taipei yesterday, Kau confirmed a report by the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) that he is back after leaving China’s Tsinghua Unigroup Ltd (清華紫光) on Wednesday last week.
During the five-year period with the Chinese group, Kau helped Yangtze Memory Technology Corp (長江存儲), a memory manufacturing arm of Tsinghua Unigroup, develop and produce China’s first 3D NAND flash memory chips.
Photo: Hung Yu-fang, Taipei Times
LVG Semiconductor was founded in Huangshi City, Hubei Province, last year with an initial capital of US$29 million, the Liberty Times reported. The company has not formally started operations yet.
“Market demand is very strong in China, but there is a lack of reclaimed wafer suppliers there,” Kau said.
It is more cost-effective to provide reclaimed wafers from Chinese factories rather than importing them from Taiwan, as the logistics would add US$6 to the overall cost of every reclaimed wafer, he said.
LVG Semiconductor is building its first plant in Huangshi, which is to start operating in the second half of next year, he said.
It would recycle used 12-inch wafers by separating precious metal wires and chemicals to ensure they are not contaminated.
Kau denied that Chinese and foreign funds are involved in LVG Semiconductor.
The company’s shareholders and board directors are all from Taiwan, he said, adding that neither the Chinese government nor global investors have injected capital into the firm.
Kau said he is only an investor in LVG Semiconductor and holds a seat on the company’s board.
Scientech would be in charge of the new company’s operations, he said.
Kau added that he is scouting for other investment targets.
Scientech is a supplier of reclaimed wafers and semiconductor equipment with annual revenue of NT$3.95 billion (US$136.4 million) last year.
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