Sumco to double 300mm wafer output

Japan's Sumitomo Mitsubishi Silicon Corp. (Sumco) plans to double its monthly production capacity of 300mm-diameter silicon wafers from 300,000 units to 600,000 by summer 2008 at a cost of about $765 million.

Sumco has been working since last year to raise its 300mm wafer production capacity to 400,000 wafers a month by summer 2006 at a cost of about 60 billion yen (about $570 million). The company now plans to raise capacity further by spending an additional sum of about 80 billion yen (about $765 million).

Most of the expansions are slated for the company's Kyushu plant in Imari, Saga Prefecture.

Sumco, a merger of Sumitomo Metal Ind. Ltd and Mitsubishi Materials Corp. has a market share of about 20 percent.

- Peter Clarke

EE Times