November 10, 2006 – TSMC has confirmed reports that it will start work on a new 300mm fab in the Hsinchu Science Park by next spring, according to several media reports. The foundry’s board has already approved an extra $1.13 billion in capital expenditures to expand 65nm and 90nm process capacity.

Taiwan’s chipmakers, including TSMC and four DRAM producers, are laying out $10.6 billion, about 40% more than in 2006, for a total of 12 new 300mm wafers fabs in 2007, according to the Taiwan Economic News. Y.C. Ho, Secretary general of the Hsinchu Science Park, said that five new wafer fabs will be built in his park alone, including two each by TSMC and PowerChip Semiconductor Corp., the paper noted. Meanwhile, Nanya Technology and Inotera Memories are partnering to co-build four 300mm fabs, and ProMos Technologies has plans for two factories.

TSMC’s board also approved capital appropriation of $9.2 million to expand 1.0-micron high-voltage process capacity in Fab 2, and OK’d the purchase of an additional 6.8% of shares in Silicon Manufacturing Company Pte. Ltd. for $73 million, bringing TSMC’s stake to 38.8%.