AMD taps UMC for joint 300mm wafer fab in Singapore

United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC) and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) have entered into a comprehensive alliance to establish a joint venture, AU Pte Ltd, to own and operate a 300mm wafer fab in Singapore for the production of PC processors and other logic products. The two companies expect to begin commercial production in the joint-venture facility on 65nm technology in mid-2005. The companies also plan to collaborate in the development of advanced process technologies for semiconductor logic products.

"One of the important benefits of working with UMC on technology development is that we will gain immediate access to an existing 300mm wafer fab for R&D activities," said Hector de J. Ruiz, president and chief operating officer of AMD. "In the next few years, we expect to require substantial additional production capacity. We believe the optimum time for us to make the transition to high-volume production on 300mm wafers is in the mid-2005 time frame when we expect to be starting production on the 65nm node."

AMD and UMC separately announced a foundry agreement under which UMC will produce PC processors to augment AMD's Dresden Fab 30 production capacity for devices produced on 130nm and smaller-geometry technology.