Europe

03/01/1998

Europe

Dainippon Screen Deutschland GmbH has opened a new DM 2.5 million ($1.4 million) spin scrubber production facility and training center in Dusseldorf, in an effort to improve customer service in Europe. The facility has a capacity of 50 sets/year. The first scrubbers were produced there in July. The support and service division of the Japan-based firm has operated in Germany since 1978.

Motorola and Siemens AG are proceeding with plans for a 300-mm joint venture in Dresden. The companies hope to have a fully integrated development line operational by the end of the year and begin ramping volume production in 2000. Equipment ordering has begun, with some lithography equipment already in place. Known as Semiconductor300, the venture is expected to have R&D costs of over DM 1 billion ($595 million), with additional investments of around DM 450 million ($268 million). Both Siemens and Motorola will share equal funding costs. The German Federal Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Technology is supporting the start-up of the line with DM 187 million ($111 million) in funding, and the State of Saxony is contributing another DM 120 million ($71 million) in support.