Intel zal de opening van Fab 24 in Leixlip in Ierland een jaar uitstellen, zo schrijft CNet. Als reden wordt opgegeven dat op dit moment de markt er niet geschikt voor is en dat men wacht op nieuwere, economischer wafers. Deze fabriek kost Intel ongeveer $2 miljard en zal 15.000 vierkante meter innemen:
The fab was one of a number of construction projects announced by Intel this year as part of an aggressive capital expansion. In the first half of the year, Intel found itself losing business opportunities because demand for both microprocessors and flash memory outstripped supply.
To squelch the problem, Intel began to acquire or invest in new plants in New Mexico, Massachusetts and Colorado, among others. In the second half of the year, however, sales slowed, giving the company less incentive to open a new plant.
Delaying the plant will also let the company more aggressively gear up for 300-millimeter wafer production in 2002. These wafers, which have diameters measuring 300 millimeters rather than 200 millimeters, are far more economical from a production point of view. A single 300-millimeter wafer can produce roughly 225 percent more wafers, which leads to lower overall costs.
Irrelevant tipte ons, dank daarvoor.