AMD outlines Dresden fab expansion plans

During a congress in Munich, Udo Nothelfer, Vice President Manufacturing and Technology for AMD's Fab 36, provided details on the company's strategy and roadmap.

AMD's expansion plans are based on the presumption that the trend in the semiconductor industry towards fab-lite and fabless business models will generate additional demand for foundry services, Nothelfer said. In addition, the future foundry company will manufacture microprocessors for AMD as well as graphics chips for AMD's ATI subsidiary. In order to manufacture the graphics chips, the company plans to add 32-nm bulk production technology in addition to its existing 45-nm SOI and future 32-nm SOI processes.

Fab36 in Dresden is currently ramping up 45nm volume production. Commercial 45nm production will start during the current quarter, Nothelfer explained. Fab38, co-located with Fab36, is currently being expanded, production ramp-up is scheduled for 2009. Fab38 is designed to manufacture devices with geometries as small as 22nm. Each fab will have a capacity of 25.000 waferstarts per month, adding up to a whopping capacity of 50.000 waferstarts per month.

The Dresden fabs will be brought into a new company of which the Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC) of Abu Dhabi will have the majority stake. The new company, preliminarily named 'The Foundry Company' will be launched in January 2009, Nothelfer explained. "This partnership has a long-term perspective," the production manager said.