MEMC Electronic Materials Inc. said Monday that it has begun 300mm wafer production in Taiwan.
The St. Peters, Mo.-based silicon wafer manufacturer is officially opening its 300mm wafer production fab today at its Taisil facility in Hsinchu, Taiwan. MEMC and a group of partner companies established Taisil in 1994, making it the first manufacturer of 200mm silicon wafers in Taiwan.

In 2004, MEMC acquired the remaining assets of Taisil and embarked on an aggressive progr

am to bring 300mm capability into Taiwan to meet growing demand, according to the wafer maker. MEMC plans for the Taisil facility to reach a capacity of approximately 150,000 300mm wafers per month by the end of 2006, depending upon market demand.

With MEMC''s 300mm capacity at its Japan facility expected to reach approximately 200,000 wafers per month later this summer, this expansion in Taisil would bring MEMC''s total 300mm capacity to approximately 350,000 wafers per month by the end of 2006, according to the company.

"In keeping with our March 2004 announcement regarding the expansion of 300mm capacity, the start of production at Taisil gives us the opportunity to expand our presence in one of the fastest growing regions in the world," Nabeel Gareeb, MEMC CEO, said in a statement. "In addition, it allows us to supply 300mm wafers from multiple geographic locations to support the growing worldwide demand."

"As market conditions dictate, we can install sufficient equipment within Taisil to produce approximately 400,000 300mm wafers per month without impacting 200mm wafering capability," Gareeb said. "This would allow us to achieve a global capacity of approximately 600,000 300mm wafers per month within the existing MEMC infrastructure," he said.