450mm wafers in 2012, say partners

“There is a long history of innovation and problem solving in our industry that has delivered wafer transitions resulting in lower costs per area of silicon processed and overall industry growth,” said Bob Bruck, Intel’s general manager of Technology Manufacturing Engineering. “We, along with Samsung and TSMC, agree the transition to 450mm wafers will follow the same pattern of delivering increased value to our customers.” A 450mm wafer will have more than twice the area of a 300mm wafer and will produce more than twice the number of dice. Bigger wafers will reduce the production cost per chip and improve the use of resources. The companies will cooperate with the semiconductor industry to help ensure that all of the required components, infrastructure and capability are developed and tested for a pilot line by this target date. Intel, Samsung and TSMC indicate that the semiconductor industry can improve its return on investment and substantially reduce 450mm research and development costs by applying aligned standards, rationalising changes from 300mm infrastructure and automation, and working toward a common timeline. The companies also agree that a cooperative approach will help minimise risk and transition costs. In line with the historical pace of growth, the three companies agree that 2012 is an appropriate target to begin the 450mm transition. “Increasing cost due to the complexity of advanced technology is a concern for the future,” said Mark Liu, TSMC’s senior vp of Advanced Technology Business. “Intel, Samsung, and TSMC believe the transition to 450mm wafers is a potential solution to maintain a reasonable cost structure for the industry.”