INDUSTRY NEWS

Asia

China okays wafer plant

China will spend approximately $1 billion to build the country's largest polysilicon wafer plant, according to a state news agency report. The plant will have an annual capacity of 1000 tons of polysilicon. Emei Semiconductor Material Factory will build the plant in Emi Shan City. China says the plant is needed to maintain a reliable domestic source of wafers and reduce dependence on foreign suppliers.

Ashland expands chem plant

Ashland's electronic chemicals division increased production capacity by 50% at a specialty chemicals factory operated by its South Korean subsidiary. Located in Pyongtaek, the site run by Ashland-ACT Korea (AAKL) makes photoresist stripper and etch residue remover. An additional 30% increase in capacity is set for this summer. The expansion will enable AAKL to better serve clients in Taiwan, Singapore, China, and Malaysia as well as South Korea. AAKL can now make ACT 690C photoresist and etch residue remover, Ashland says. The nonhydroxylamine product removes organic and highly oxide residues.

Chem venture opens plant

An American-Japanese joint venture has opened a plant near Tokyo for handling organometallic chemicals. The new plant at the Specialty Chemicals Center of Daido Air Products Electronics improves the supplier's ability to transfill and analyze organometallic chemicals for the Asian market. Air Products and Chemicals and the Japanese firm Air Water operate the venture. The organometallic chemicals include trimethylindium and trimethylgallium. Use of the materials has grown rapidly because of the demand for compound semiconductors used in cellular phones and high-speed communications, Air Products points out.

PRI finds Korean partner

Shinsung Engineering of South Korea will assemble automated storage and retrieval systems from PRI Automation for Asian customers under the terms of a new alliance. The partnership gives PRI of Billerica, MA, 12% of the outstanding shares in the Korean firm, which makes semiconductor cleanroom equipment and other industrial tools. PRI will make a $12-million minority investment in Shinsung. The deal gives PRI the opportunity to expand its stake to 19%.

Middle East

Israel gives Tower $250 million

The Israeli government has given Tower Semiconductor a $250-million grant toward construction of the chipmaker's Fab 2. Sited in Migdal Ha'emek, the fab will cost approximately $1.25 billion to build. Operating at full capacity, the plant will process up to 33,000 200-mm wafers per month and employ 1000 people.

Europe

ASM to double furnace capacity

ASM Europe plans to eventually double production of its A412 300-mm vertical furnace with the opening of a new assembly and test facility. The 14,850-sq-ft plant will be located in Almere near ASM Europe's main facility in Bilthoven, The Netherlands. The facility will house approximately 5610 sq ft of Class 10,000 cleanroom area and a dedicated Class 1000 room for shipment preparation and packing. The vendor's vertical furnace line includes the A400 for 200-mm processing and the A412 for 300-mm wafers. The plant is scheduled to begin production in the second quarter
of 2001.

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