April 26, 2002 — Santa Clara, CA– Intel Corporation plans to resume construction of Fab 24 in Leixlip, County Kildare, Ireland. The cost to construct the state-of-the-art facility is estimated at $2 billion. Once completed, the fab will produce 300 mm wafers using 90 nanometer design rules.

The new facility will house 160,000 s.f. of cleanroom space. Intel expects to have the fab up and running by the first half of 2004.

"As computing and communications devices converge, the need for higher performance components will grow. This facility will help us meet that growing demand. The combination of the 300 mm wafers and 90-nanometer process technology will also reduce the costs of manufacturing, increase productivity and improve the availability of the world’s most advanced semiconductor products," says Bob Baker, vice president and general manager of Intel’s Technology and Manufacturing Group.

Construction on Fab 24 is considered to be the largest single construction project in Ireland. Intel expected to begin construction of the fab in June 2000, but it was temporarily halted during the downturn, according to company reports.