Micron Technology has been actively allocating its global resources to enhance its DRAM and NAND flash product lines, according to Wayne Allan, VP of global manufacturing at the US-based memory chip vendor.

Micron has four manufacturing sites worldwide, while setting up backend facilities in Xian (China), Taiwan and Singapore, said Allan. The backend site in Taiwan is dedicated to providing wafer-level packaging services for DRAM memory, while that in Singapore is engaged in the backend services of NAND flash memory.

In addition to the US, where Micron is headquartered, the company has wafer fabs in Japan, Singapore and Taiwan. Micron's 12-inch plant in Hiroshima, Japan was formerly owned by Elpida Memory, which Micron acquired in 2013. Micron fabricates mainly mobile RAM as well as PC DRAM chips using 20nm process technology at the Hiroshima fab, Allan disclosed.

Micron has a 12-inch fab for the manufacture of NAND flash in Singapore. The fab has begun to produce 64-layer 3D NAND chips, with mass production slated to kick off by September 2017, Allan noted. The facility will also produce and sell a portion of its 3D NAND products to Intel.

In Taiwan, Micron has two fabs for the manufacture of DRAM memory. Micron's fab in Taichung, central Taiwan is scaling up its output of DRAM chips built using 1Xnm process technology with mass production expected to kick off between September and October, 2017, while the fab in Taoyuan, northern Taiwan is looking to transition to the newer 1Xnm node from 20nm for the production of DRAM chips.

Micron has three plants in the US. The 12-inch plant in Virginia, which opened in 2004, produces both DRAM and NAND flash products. Micron's Virginia facility is specifically engaged in the manufacture of high-margin products and products that have long product cycles, such as memory devices for automotive, industrial, medical and gaming applications, he indicated.

Micron's Lehi facility, formerly a joint venture between Micron and Intel dubbed IM Flash, produces 3D NAND and 3D Xpoint solutions, while the Boise facility remains Micron's global R&D center. Allan pointed out that Micron's 3D Xpoint technology jointly developed with Intel will be adopted in enterprise devices. Mass production of chips built using the technology will be ready in 2019.

Micron recently acquired a factory from touch panel maker Cando. The facility located in Taichung, central Taiwan will be utilized in establishing a backend site for Micron Taiwan. The new site in Taiwan will be dedicated to developing packaging technologies including wafer-level packaging and 3D IC integration, he said.

As a center of excellence for leading-edge DRAM, Micron's new site in Taichung will bringing together fabrication and backend to build an efficient support structure for end-to-end manufacturing with quicker cycle times that benefit customers, Allan noted.

Micron's backend site in Xian, China is dedicated to providing DRAM backend services. Major customers of the site are China-based PC and communications device companies.

Micron is looking to sell its Japan-based backend facilities to partner Powertech Technology (PTI). PTI announced recently plans to fully acquire Micron Akita, Micron's assembly and test plant in Japan. The pair also struck a deal under which PTI will take up Micron's stake in Japan-based wafer testing company Tera Probe.

In response to speculation that China's chipmakers are aggressively headhunting talent from their fellow international companies, Allan said that Micron is committed to protecting its intellectual property rights and will pursue legal methods if necessary. The aim is to prevent China-based companies from stealing Micron's patents and technology.

Various Chinese-language media reports indicated that Tsinghua Unigroup and other China-based memory chipmakers are headhunting talent from Micron's Taiwan-based units, which were previously Inotera Memories and Rexchip Electronics.

By: DocMemory
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