Samsung says Austin fab ramped in record time

SAN FRANCISCO—Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. said Monday (Dec. 5) its subsidiary in Austin, Texas, completed ramp to volume production of its 300-mm fab in record time.

Samsung said the fab, S2, reached its capacity of 40,000 wafer starts in October, within five months after producing its initial silicon wafers.

The S2 line is designed to manufacture devices utilizing Samsung's low-power logic process technology at the 45-nanometer node. Samsung said it established a synchronized global production network between its facilities in Giheung, South Korea, and Austin ahead of schedule.

"Importantly, this achievement enables us to support customer requirements in a timely manner and enhances customer's level of confidence with us as well as our advanced production competitiveness," said Steve Hah, vice president of Samsung Austin Semiconductor and head of the S2 line, in a statement.

After initiating clean room construction for S2 in August 2010, the company completed the qualification of the process in just seven months, Samsung said.To ramp-up capacity to 40,000 wafers per month quickly and most efficiently, equipment installation was done after extensive simulation and technical study to secure uniformity and synchronized operations among equipment, critical to maintaining high yields during the expansion to high volume of any manufacturing operation, Samsung said.

Samsung Austin Semiconductor has grown to more than 2,400 employees in Austin, according to Samsung. The company has invested more than $9 billion in its Austin facilities, which is the largest foreign investment in Texas and one of the largest single foreign investments in the U.S., according to Samsung.
Samsung says Austin fab ramped in record time