Intel Plans New China Plant

[irev210]

Uh, this is just wow.

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2082685,00.asp


Is it just me, or do you feel like building a multi-billion dollar fab in a country that doesnt really enforce IP laws a bad idea?


I wonder how long before enTEL chips start showing up on the black market.

[nn_step]

well I definitely have to agree with that point. Dragon processor may become a Conroe rip-off

[red]

Why is it going to be 65nm if 45nm is supposed to be ready by the time this fab should finish?:confused:

[foch3 -USA-]

chipsets maybe? I for sure wouldn't send new IP to china.

[cky2k6]

they mentioned dual core processors... my guess is on ip though, as it seems they will be making conroes, not the latest chips. theyll probably keep this fab a generation behind, so that their rivals dont get ahold of what theyre doing currently.

[freeloader]

They sell 40% of their chips in North America. What about having 40% of their capacity here? Gee, I'd better wake up and have some milk and cookies after a dream like that.

[cky2k6]

america is not that industrial of a country anymore... funny how everybody wants manufacturing back in the states, and yet who here will go and work in a fab or really any production facility? i bet the majority of this forum is in the service sector, even more than 70% of the us nationwide figure...

[red]

http://www.intel.com/intel/finance/investorfacts/pix/chart_02.jpg
Umm.. No:rolleyes:

[awdrifter]

well I definitely have to agree with that point. Dragon processor may become a Conroe rip-off

Yep, looks like the Dragon cpu will be pretty competitive if they can rip-off the Conroe.

[cky2k6]

by the time they rip off conroe, intel will probably have gesher... i think theyre more worried about info being sold off to amd, or nvidia if they come out with a cpu.

[gOJDO]

Dragon processor may become a Conroe rip-off
Yes, sometimes in the year of 2020.:rolleyes:

[red]

http://www.intel.com/pressroom/kits/manufacturing/manufacturing_qa.htm#1

1. How many factories do you have worldwide, where are they located and what percentage of your workforce do they employ?
Intel has 15 wafer fabs in production worldwide at nine locations. Fab production sites within the United States are located in Chandler, Ariz.; Santa Clara, Calif.; Colorado Springs, Colo.; Hudson, Mass.; Rio Rancho, N.M.; and Hillsboro, Ore.; and outside the United States in Leixlip, Ireland; Jerusalem, Israel; and Kiryal Gat, Israel. Two new fabs are under construction at existing sites in Arizona and Israel.

The company has six assembly and test sites worldwide and is building a seventh, all of them outside the U.S. Assembly and test sites outside the United States are located in Shanghai, China; Chengdu, China; San Jose, Costa Rica; Kulim, Malaysia; Penang, Malaysia; and Cavite, Philippines. An assembly and testing site in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, is under construction. There is one testing facility and one assembly development facility inside the U.S.

[irev210]

70% of fab production is done in the US right now, followed by Israel. I forgot what they make in Ireland fab-wise.



Again, I wouldnt want my IP in a place where there are no IP laws. Regardless of how old the tech is.


Also, about that other poster, there is a big difference between Taiwan and China when it comes to manufacturing. Taiwan companies are just being able to outsource 180nm to China, they just got approval from Taiwan gov't. If Taiwan doesnt let their founderies outsource to China, I'd say there is a good reason why, after all... they know China pretty well.

[milkcafe]

Taiwan companies are just being able to outsource 180nm to China



for that reason

AMAT placed some sanctions on SMIC

TSMC wont do that

without 80nm semiconducutor manufacturing device

We wont see one G80 chip manufacturing in china

[cupra]

yep, its a bad idea for my opinion.

btw: the 45nm fab is build 20min from my house.

[onewingedangel]

Maybe they're sending their outdated equipment to build a flash plant?

China is still a little too much of a wild west mentality at the minute to be relying on for a state of the art fab.

When they say the fab is going to be 65nm they are definately just moving equipment around from a fab thats been upgraded to 45nm (or possibly one that is working on 32nm)

If they are going for dual core processors, maybe it will be making low cost cpu's, possibly for the developing world - low transistor budget but very cheap to make and low heat output.

Alternately they could be making chips for STB etc - the majority of which are manufactured in china.

[sierra_bound]

Update

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) - Intel Corp. plans to build a $2.5 billion semiconductor manufacturing factory in China, the company's first wafer-fabrication facility constructed in Asia to produce computer chips.

The plant, to be called Fab 68, will be located in the northeastern port city of Dalian, where the Chinese government is offering incentives to lure high-technology companies. Set to open in 2010, the factory will be used to produce to chipsets that aid the company's core microprocessors used in personal computers and data-network servers.

It would be Intel's most-advanced facility in China, where it already operates chip assembly and test plants. The Santa Clara, Calif.-based chip giant said the fab will bring its investments in China to about $4 billion, making it one of the largest foreign investors. Since 1998, Intel has also invested in 50 technology companies in mainland China and Hong Kong.

The announcement ends recent speculation about Intel's plans for a factory in China.

The Chinese government on March 14 approved Intel's application for a wafer fabrication facility, known as "fabs" in the industry. Until now, Intel had declined to say whether it would push forward with construction.

"China is our fastest-growing major market and we believe it's critical that we invest in markets that will provide for future growth to better serve our customers," Intel Chief Executive Paul Otellini said in a prepared statement. He discussed the company's plans at a press conference Monday in Beijing.

To avoid upsetting U.S. lawmakers, Intel probably won't use its most-advanced manufacturing process technology at the factory. China has granted Intel a license to construct a 300-millimeter plant using 90-nanometer manufacturing process technology.

Intel makes its chips using 65-nanometer process technology. It's already moving toward 45nm, and by the time the factory opens, Intel wants to make microprocessors using 32nm. The chips will be made on 12-inch wafers, known as 300mm in industry terms.

By building a less-advanced factory, Intel is showing somewhat of a shift in its manufacturing strategy, illustrating China's importance in the global electronics market.

Fab 68 in China is the first factory Intel has built at a brand-new site in 15 years. The company usually builds new fabs by existing sites, installing state-of-the-art equipment for its next-generation computer chips and tapping an experienced workbase.

It is spending more than $9 billion to build three cutting-edge factories in Oregon, Arizona, and Israel, placed where it currently operates facilities. Since 2000, the chip giant has plowed more than $40 billion into its manufacturing plants.

Link (http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/intel-planning-new-plant-china/story.aspx?guid=%7BED4FFF7C%2D8BB1%2D497C%2D9B50%2 D2D3D4F224F8B%7D)

[sierra_bound]

Official press release (http://www.intel.com/pressroom/archive/releases/20070326corp.htm)

[G3XC]

AMD says Intel Fab in China is good

According to Chinabyte (http://news.chinabyte.com/71/3136571.shtml), AMD made an interesting remark on Intel plans to set up a fab in China. AMD spokesman commented that Intel to build a fab in China is a good thing as it will propel China IT industry development and beneficial to the consumers. It will also boost the overall market competitiveness.

Source (http://www.vr-zone.com/index.php?i=4858)

[Entity_Razer]

Intel has confirmed the comming of the chinese fab.

Source is : http://www.tweakers.net (dutch) looking for english reference

[Thorry]

Intel has confirmed the comming of the chinese fab.

Source is : http://www.tweakers.net (dutch) looking for english reference

Did you check the Intel website?

http://www.intel.com/pressroom/archive/releases/20070326corp.htm

:toast:

[vitaminc]

well I definitely have to agree with that point. Dragon processor may become a Conroe rip-off

lol @ that argument.

didn't amd and cyrix teach you that you won't make a penny cloning intel cpus?

[vitaminc]

Also, about that other poster, there is a big difference between Taiwan and China when it comes to manufacturing. Taiwan companies are just being able to outsource 180nm to China, they just got approval from Taiwan gov't. If Taiwan doesnt let their founderies outsource to China, I'd say there is a good reason why, after all... they know China pretty well.

the only reason is political stupidity of the inept taiwanese government.

[nn_step]

Did you check the Intel website?

http://www.intel.com/pressroom/archive/releases/20070326corp.htm

:toast:
no one can argue with it now :D

lol @ that argument.

didn't amd and cyrix teach you that you won't make a penny cloning intel cpus?

well AMD did a very good job from that and is very competitive now.
Cyrix after being bought and sold to Via, now is extremely profitable.

[vitaminc]

well AMD did a very good job from that and is very competitive now.
Cyrix after being bought and sold to Via, now is extremely profitable.

AMD turned profitable only after turning away from cloning business after K5/K6.
Cyrix went belly up from cloning and Via bought it. It is no longer in cloning business.

moral of the story? cloning a extremely capital intensive product with short life cycles will not make you a penny.