April 23, 2007 – Taiwan’s top three DRAM chipmakers — Nanya Technology Corp., PowerChip Semiconductor Corp., and ProMos Technologies Inc. — plan to collectively raise more than $3 billion in 2Q07 to fund various expansion activities, primarily 300mm fab projects, notes the Taiwan Economic News.

Nanya recently issued about $333 million in corporate bonds and is seeking another $848 million in another loan, which banks expect to lend out “at preferential rates” thanks to good standing with Nanya’s parent company, Formosa Plastics Corp., the paper noted.

Also looking for a loan is ProMos, which seeks to borrow the remaining half of a $1.2 billion loan that it started in November. Powerchip, meanwhile, says its request for a $1.5 billion in bank financing will help finance construction of several 300mm sites within its planned JV with Japan’s Elpida Memory.

The paper notes that Taiwan’s banks aren’t just throwing money at the island’s high-profile memory chipmakers — Dragon Steel Corp. plans to borrow about $1.7 billion in a 10-year loan, while Taiwan Mobile Corp. is seeking about $712 million.