Intel breaks ground on 450mm Fab

Stefan Mileschin · 8th August 2013, 20:06

Intel has started building its first dedicated facility for 450mm wafer production.

The new foundry, which will have the catchy title D1X Module 2, will come online in 2015 and cost $2 billion.

The 450mm facility will set records because of the cost of the new manufacturing equipment, something that Intel is banking on. After all - if it is one of the few chip makers that can afford the new generation of gear, it will will gain a significant competitive advantage.

Intel's enthusiasm may be masking some nerves. The industry attempted a transition from 200mm to 300mm transition which went disastrously wrong.

The cost and fears of another disaster mean that rivals like IBM, Samsung, and GlobalFoundries have begun to talk about a 450mm transition, while Intel is full steam ahead.

The logic is that while 450mm wafers are expensive in terms of equipment costs, in the long term you can make a lot of money.

GlobalFoundries has said that a 450mm wafer can yield 3,400 dies while a 300mm wafer yields just 1,450.

So, a 450mm fab with a 40 to 45,000 wafer starts a month will produce as much as a 300mm fab with 100,000 wafer starts a month. It is believed that 450mm wafers will save 20 percent to 25 percent in capital expenditures.

Cutting costs is all very well, but the whole project will bank on Intel's ability to sell the chips it makes. This could be a little tricky given the downturn in the IT industry. Chipzilla is already facing failing margins to sell its chips, and some of the savings it makes from 450mm wafers might just go to keeping its head above water.

According to ExtremeTech, Intel hopes to address this by moving to 14nm at the same time.

If a 450mm wafer packs 2.5 times the processors of a 300mm wafer, the cost-per-processor is far lower if and only if Intel can ship every single chip.

To achieve this, Intel really could do with widespread uptake of its Atom processors to justify the enormous build-outs the company has done at Fab 42 and now at Fab D1X.

http://news.techeye.net/chips/intel-...d-on-450mm-fab

8th August 2013, 20:06	#1
Stefan Mileschin [M] Reviewer Join Date: May 2010 Location: Romania Posts: 148,618	Intel breaks ground on 450mm Fab Intel has started building its first dedicated facility for 450mm wafer production. The new foundry, which will have the catchy title D1X Module 2, will come online in 2015 and cost $2 billion. The 450mm facility will set records because of the cost of the new manufacturing equipment, something that Intel is banking on. After all - if it is one of the few chip makers that can afford the new generation of gear, it will will gain a significant competitive advantage. Intel's enthusiasm may be masking some nerves. The industry attempted a transition from 200mm to 300mm transition which went disastrously wrong. The cost and fears of another disaster mean that rivals like IBM, Samsung, and GlobalFoundries have begun to talk about a 450mm transition, while Intel is full steam ahead. The logic is that while 450mm wafers are expensive in terms of equipment costs, in the long term you can make a lot of money. GlobalFoundries has said that a 450mm wafer can yield 3,400 dies while a 300mm wafer yields just 1,450. So, a 450mm fab with a 40 to 45,000 wafer starts a month will produce as much as a 300mm fab with 100,000 wafer starts a month. It is believed that 450mm wafers will save 20 percent to 25 percent in capital expenditures. Cutting costs is all very well, but the whole project will bank on Intel's ability to sell the chips it makes. This could be a little tricky given the downturn in the IT industry. Chipzilla is already facing failing margins to sell its chips, and some of the savings it makes from 450mm wafers might just go to keeping its head above water. According to ExtremeTech, Intel hopes to address this by moving to 14nm at the same time. If a 450mm wafer packs 2.5 times the processors of a 300mm wafer, the cost-per-processor is far lower if and only if Intel can ship every single chip. To achieve this, Intel really could do with widespread uptake of its Atom processors to justify the enormous build-outs the company has done at Fab 42 and now at Fab D1X. http://news.techeye.net/chips/intel-...d-on-450mm-fab

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
TSMC reiterates 450mm push	Stefan Mileschin	WebNews	0	13th May 2013 06:47
Intel: 450mm, EUV to kill off rival chip companies	Stefan Mileschin	WebNews	0	12th December 2012 07:40
Intel Leixlip plant expansion could pave way for 450mm	Stefan Mileschin	WebNews	0	27th July 2012 06:47
Apple breaks ground on second solar farm for North Carolina data center	Stefan Mileschin	WebNews	0	18th May 2012 07:40
Intel 32nm Clarkdale breaks SuperPi record: 6.344 - running 6.76Ghz under LN2	jmke	WebNews	3	30th December 2009 21:22
AMD gains ground on Intel	jmke	WebNews	0	2nd July 2008 11:03
TSMC, Intel, Samsung Agree on 450mm For The Future	jmke	WebNews	0	8th May 2008 11:21
Intel Samsung and TSMC plan 450mm Wafers	jmke	WebNews	0	6th May 2008 11:08
450mm wafers slated for Intel 2008 start	jmke	WebNews	0	9th March 2006 22:43
ECS readies Grantsdale board that breaks every Intel rule @ The Inquirer	jmke	WebNews	0	3rd June 2004 11:16