October 18, 2007 – Elpida Memory plans to complete its migration of DRAM production from 200mm to 300mm wafers by the end of this current fiscal year (March 2008), six months earlier than planned, in order to sooner focus on cost-competitive products, according to the Nikkei daily.

Output at Elpida’s Hiroshima operation totaled 82,000 wafers/month in June, with plans to hike to 100,000 by year’s end. Chips utilizing 70nm process technologies are made on the 300mm wafers, with 200mm lines used for chip designs two generations behind. Earlier this year Elpida said it would sell 200mm equipment from Hiroshima Elpida Memory Inc. to China’s Cension Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. for about 36B yen ($308M), where it will be operated by domestic chipmaker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC).