Huge investment in Xi'an is expected to manufacture 12 inch wafer equipment

In April 10th and 11, R & D and production enterprises, the world's largest semiconductor equipment applied materials (Applied Materials) Company in Xi'an held investment signing ceremony and the groundbreaking ceremony of the centre for global development. So far, the United States applied materials company in Xi'an high tech Zone to set up a global development center of the major investment projects finally settled. The total investment of the project is $255 million, which is currently the largest foreign investment industrial project in Shaanxi, and it also makes Xi'an a global technology center in the United states.

By huge investment application materials, Xi'an is expected to 12 inch wafer manufacturing equipment it is understood that the United States applied materials, Xi'an semiconductor Center for global development, the founders of the total area of 10600 square meters, can accommodate 500 employees, is 200 mm (8 inches) the global semiconductor manufacturing equipment service center. The centre will be completed early next year and will provide engineering and software support for the application of the materials company in the world.

In fact, prior to the announcement of the investment project, applied materials company in Xi'an R & D center has begun to operate, has more than 40 R & D engineers, by the end of 2006 will be more than 80 people. Despite the announcement of the investment project for the R & D center, the company's equipment manufacturing plant construction also started the same period, is expected to be engaged in 8 inch wafer equipment or related equipment production.

As Chen Deming, governor of Shaanxi Province, said at the groundbreaking ceremony, the United States applied materials company global development center, will lead to a large number of chip manufacturers and software designers to Shaanxi. Due to the application of materials, the leading position in the industry and a huge influence, applied materials, the arrival will bring us more supporting, this will enable Xi'an's semiconductor industry chain more complete, the scale of the industry increased rapidly. At present, Xi'an has formed a semiconductor design, based on Infineon as the representative of the semiconductor device to application materials as the representative of manufacturing, taking as the representative of the semiconductor chip production, packaging and testing companies with micron semiconductor represented a complete industrial chain.

In this chain, in terms of personnel, resources and costs, Xi'an in integrated circuit manufacturing equipment and packaging and testing more comparative advantage, which lays an important foundation for the two large investment projects, application materials for micron Xi'an integrated circuit industry to semiconductor equipment production and packaging and testing direction. We had in Xi'an integrated circuit industry base responsible person in an interview with Lin Jianwen, he clearly describes the clear direction of Xi'an integrated circuit industry development will be the development of equipment manufacturing and packaging and testing industry focus, and semiconductor production equipment is the first one. He believes that the current domestic Chinese has not yet formed a gathering of semiconductor equipment development and manufacturing, while the global R & D center and production line equipment application materials company set up in Xi'an, Xi'an will undoubtedly bring great opportunity in this direction. Industry sources said the application of the company's investment in Xi'an will not only be limited to 8 inch wafer equipment, the future of the 12 inch wafer equipment is also expected to achieve "made in Xi'an".