1st Silicon builds fab in Malaysia

10/01/1998

1st Silicon builds fab in Malaysia

A Malaysian fab project has obtained funding and named former Thesys executive Claudio Loddo to head its efforts. Plans now call for the 1st Silicon organization to begin construction of a 200-mm foundry fab in Q3 of this year, and begin customer delivery of wafers by the beginning of 2000, with capacity of 20,000 wafers/month envisioned that year.

Funding is being provided by the Malaysian state of Sarawak, and individual investors. Chairman of the enterprise is Datuk J.C. Fong. The company says it has acquired "certain assets" belonging to the defunct InterConnect Technology project in Malaysia, but says "There is no other connection between the two companies." 1st Silicon will build on an 80-acre parcel of land in the Sama Jaya Free Trade Zone, Kuching, Sarawak, and has space for two fabs. Negotiations are under way with Japanese chipmaker Sharp for 0.25-?m process technology; Sharp was to have provided InterConnect with 0.35- and 0.25-?m technology and take a percentage of fab output.

1st Silicon plans to negotiate agreements with existing test, assembly, and packaging companies to be able to offer back-end services, and will also operate a series of design centers. - P.N.D.