US-based memorychip supplier Micron Technology Inc on Friday said that it would start producing its most advanced DRAM exclusively in Taiwan in 2025.
Micron said that it would mass produce chips using its advanced 1-gamma process node DRAM in Taiwan, ahead of any other production site worldwide.
The company installed cutting-edge extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography production equipment in its A3 fab in Taichung last year.
Photo: Reuters
The 1-gamma process — its third-generation 10 nanometer-class node — was jointly developed by Micron’s research and development (R&D) teams in Taiwan and Japan.
Micron on Thursday said it would invest up to US$3.6 billion in Japan.
A Ministry of Economic Affairs official said that Micron had informed the ministry of its investment plan in Japan before it was announced.
Micron’s R&D program in Taiwan remains unchanged and would continue as planned, the official said.
The statements from Micron and the ministry apparently aim to ease concerns over the company’s future in Taiwan.
Micron announced its Japanese investment plan after Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met with executives from seven semiconductor companies, including Micron and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電). The others were Applied Materials Inc, IBM Corp, Samsung Electronics Co, Intel Corp and Belgian semiconductor research group Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre.
The plan would include additional investment over the next few years in Micron’s factory in Hiroshima Prefecture, the company said.
According to a report from Nikkei Asia, the Hiroshima plant produces advanced DRAM chips and the US chipmaker plans to install a state-of-the-art production line there, with Tokyo’s backing.
That could include EUV lithography production equipment, needed for the mass production of the 1-gamma process, which Micron said it would install in Japan, without specifying whether it would be used at the Hiroshima facility.
EUV refers to a soft X-ray technology, which has a wavelength of 13.5 nanometers.
Micron is the largest foreign employer and foreign direct investor in Taiwan, with more than 10,000 workers in its fabs in Taichung and Taoyuan.
Micron has said it would continue to recruit highly skilled personnel in the years ahead.
The Taoyuan factory is from Micron’s acquisition of Taiwanese DRAM maker Inotera Memories Inc (華亞科技) in 2016, while the Taichung factory is from the acquisition of another local DRAM maker, Rexchip Electronics Corp (瑞晶電子), in 2012.
The Eurovision Song Contest has seen a surge in punter interest at the bookmakers, becoming a major betting event, experts said ahead of last night’s giant glamfest in Basel. “Eurovision has quietly become one of the biggest betting events of the year,” said Tomi Huttunen, senior manager of the Online Computer Finland (OCS) betting and casino platform. Betting sites have long been used to gauge which way voters might be leaning ahead of the world’s biggest televised live music event. However, bookmakers highlight a huge increase in engagement in recent years — and this year in particular. “We’ve already passed 2023’s total activity and
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) today announced that his company has selected "Beitou Shilin" in Taipei for its new Taiwan office, called Nvidia Constellation, putting an end to months of speculation. Industry sources have said that the tech giant has been eyeing the Beitou Shilin Science Park as the site of its new overseas headquarters, and speculated that the new headquarters would be built on two plots of land designated as "T17" and "T18," which span 3.89 hectares in the park. "I think it's time for us to reveal one of the largest products we've ever built," Huang said near the
China yesterday announced anti-dumping duties as high as 74.9 percent on imports of polyoxymethylene (POM) copolymers, a type of engineering plastic, from Taiwan, the US, the EU and Japan. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce’s findings conclude a probe launched in May last year, shortly after the US sharply increased tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, computer chips and other imports. POM copolymers can partially replace metals such as copper and zinc, and have various applications, including in auto parts, electronics and medical equipment, the Chinese ministry has said. In January, it said initial investigations had determined that dumping was taking place, and implemented preliminary
Intel Corp yesterday reinforced its determination to strengthen its partnerships with Taiwan’s ecosystem partners including original-electronic-manufacturing (OEM) companies such as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) and chipmaker United Microelectronics Corp (UMC, 聯電). “Tonight marks a new beginning. We renew our new partnership with Taiwan ecosystem,” Intel new chief executive officer Tan Lip-bu (陳立武) said at a dinner with representatives from the company’s local partners, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the US chip giant’s presence in Taiwan. Tan took the reins at Intel six weeks ago aiming to reform the chipmaker and revive its past glory. This is the first time Tan