Posted 06/09/09 at 08:28:30 AM by Paul Lilly

Things are all going to plan, said Intel, who is scheduled to begin operations at its 300mm fab in Dalian, China, in 2010. Manning the fabrication plant will be the first batch of graduates from the Semiconductor Technology Institute.

According to Intel, manufacturing with 300mm wafers has a dramatic effect on the company's ability to produce semiconductors at a lower cost. In addition, 300mm manufacturing consumes 40 percent less energy and water per chip than a 200mm wafer factory, the company said.

The site in question was first announced in 2007 as a $2.5 billion project in what would ultimately become the company's first wafer fab in Asia. It was the first time since 1992 with the construction of Fab 10 in Ireland that Intel had built a fab from the ground up.

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Posted 07/24/08 at 02:35:34 PM by Paul Lilly

Ask anyone who's ever been married and they'll tell you how difficult it is to read between the lines. The same holds true in the tech world, where rumors get started with bits and pieces of information pieced together like a puzzle, but the pieces don't always fit. Such is the case involving AMD's fabrication plants in Germany.

With the chip maker struggling to turn a profit and announcing a restructuring plan to get there, some speculated AMD might be gearing up to sell off some of its Fabs. Then more recently AMD's CEO Dirk Meyer told the Austin Amercian-Statesman that it plans to spin the manufacturing operations off into a separate company with new ownership. Could that be taken as confirmation of an earlier rumor?

It can and it was, but AMD is saying not so fast. Contrary to what The Inq maintains is still true, Drew Prairie, an AMD spokesperson, claims Meyer's comments were referring to how the company manufacturers its wafers, and not indicative of any plans to sell off its Fabs.

So while it appears that AMD's fabrication plants are safe for now, this likely won't be the last bit of speculation involving the chip maker. AMD remains tight-lipped about its restructuring plans and 'asset-smart' strategy, and with the recent departure of Hector Ruiz as CEO, it's anyone's guess what the company might be planning. Any guesses?

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