Powerchip Semiconductor Corporation (PSC) will not rule out a possibility of building a new fab in China to solve 8-inch wafers supply shortage, according to PSC chairman Frank Huang.

The company has noticed the shortage since March or April this year, and the situation is getting more serious towards the second half of this year. The 8-inch wafer supply is expected to fall short by about 20,000-30,000 wafers per month sometime next year, Huang said at eMEX Suzhou 2003.

PSC is also considering forming alliances with other companies to seek additional capacity as building a new fab is expected to cost at least US$800 million to US$1 billion, Huang said.

PSC's second 12-inch fab is set to start volume production by the end of 2004, Huang said. By then, PSC is expected to become the fourth-largest DRAM maker in the world, trailing behind Samsung Electronics, Micron Technology and Infineon Technologies.

By: DocMemory
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