August 26, 2003 – Powerchip Semiconductor Corp., Hsinchu, Taiwan, and DRAM JV Elpida Memory, Tokyo, Japan, a DRAM JV between NEC and Hitachi, have extended a previous agreement to exchange foundry services for chip manufacturing processes.

Under the deal, Powerchip will implement Elpida’s 0.10-micron and 0.09-micron processes in its 12-in. wafer fab, where it already produces 15,000 wafers/month using Elpida’s 0.13-micron processes.

Mass production using 0.10-micron processes is scheduled for October 2004, with 0.09-micron technology processes scheduled to commence in early 2005.