INDUSTRY NEWS

Sematech expands scope of global 300-mm effort

Citing the enormous cost and complexity of the transition, Sematech has expanded the scope of I300I, its 300-mm tool development subsidiary, to cover three new areas and formally include five semiconductor manufacturers based outside of the United States. The new areas are lithography infrastructure, ESH, and standards. The overseas members are Hyundai, Philips, SGS-Thomson Microelectronics, Siemens, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC). The consortium has also changed the name of I300I to International Sematech. The subsidiary will begin operations on April 2.

The overseas chipmakers are five of seven existing international members that belonged to I300I. The other two members, Samsung and LG Semicon, left the 300-mm tool development program at the end of 1997, a decision prompted primarily by the severity of the Korean financial crisis. South Korea—based Hyundai decided to tough it out, joining the new subsidiary as a charter member. All of the existing subsidiary firms, including the overseas chipmakers, have "significant design, development, or manufacturing locations in the United States," Sematech points out. The U.S. members of International Sematech are AMD, Digital, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Intel, Lucent Technologies, Motorola, National Semiconduc- tor, Rockwell, and TI.

International Sematech will have its own separate board of directors. Approximately 150 of the R&D consortium's 670 employees and assignees will work in the subsidiary. Sematech will increase its annual operating budget by $35 million to $160 million. The money will be disbursed evenly between programs operated by Sematech and those operated by its subsidiary. The consortium says it expects SEMI/Sematech, the trade group representing 200 U.S. tool and materials suppliers, to support the new subsidiary because of the expanded worldwide customer base it offers. Sematech says that any intellectual property generated by International Sematech will be shared with all members of the consortium.

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