Micron, Nanya form DRAM joint venture

As part of the joint venture, a 200mm wafer fab in Taiwan will be upgraded to run 300mm wafers during this year with the facility coming online for production in 2009. In addition to forming MeiYa, Micron and Nanya have agreed to develop jointly and share technology.

Micron and Nanya will own 50 percent of the joint venture initially, and each will contribute $550 million in cash by the end of 2009. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approval in Taiwan, and is expected to close within the next few months. "This partnership brings greater scale and efficiency to the DRAM manufacturing operations of both parent companies, and Micron is pleased to officially enter into this joint venture with Nanya," said Mark Durcan, Micron's president and chief operating officer, in a statement.

- Christoph Hammerschmidt
EE Times Europe