DailyTech - AMD To Transform Fab 30 Into Fab 38

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IT AMD To Transform Fab 30 Into Fab 38
Anh Tuan Huynh (Blog) - May 29, 2006 3:24 PM

15 comment(s) - last by Viditor.. on May 31 at 1:46 PM

AMD's Fab 36 - Image Courtesy AMD

Maximized production capacity and 65nm production expansion

AMD has announced it will be investing $2.5B USD to transform the existing 200mm wafer Fab 30 to produce 300mm wafers. The transformed facility will be named Fab 38. Moving from 200mm to 300mm wafers allows AMD to produce more than twice as many processors per wafer. Furthermore, Fab 36 will lose its clean room facility in exchange for greater production capacity. A new separate clean room facility will be built leaving Fab 36 to maximize production capabilities.

"As global demand continues to rise for AMD products, we are scaling our manufacturing capacity intelligently to meet our customers' growing needs," said Hector Ruiz, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of AMD. "To achieve this, we are pursuing an aggressive path to invest in and expand our top-rated manufacturing capabilities in Dresden. These strategic investments highlight how significant Germany and Europe are to the future of AMD competitiveness. We expect that AMD’s momentum and demand for our products will continue to increase, fueled by our technology leadership, our commitment to customer-centric innovation and the continuing global antitrust scrutiny that will ensure truly competitive markets."

$2.5B is less than half of what AMD is expected to invest into the Dresden facilities over the next three years, though the $2.5B only covers plans into 2007. AMD is expected to start producing 65nm “Brisbane” processors at Fab 36 with a majority shift towards 65nm production by mid-2007. The 65nm processors are expected to make an appearance in December 2006.

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30 into 38 or 36?

By Negronpope on 5/29/06, Rating: 0

RE: 30 into 38 or 36?

By Xavian on 5/29/2006 6:42:43 PM , Rating: 2

30 is morphing into 38, 36 is losing its clean room to increase production, the new clean room will be built at a new facility nearby fab 36. Atleast thats what i could make out from the Press Release (which in DT's defence is not exactly the most legible thing in the world)

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RE: 30 into 38 or 36?

By KristopherKubicki

(blog) on 5/29/2006 7:33:50 PM , Rating: 2

Fab 30 and 36 are actually part of the same complex and joined together. If you didn't know that I suppose it would be hard to pick out some of the smaller details of the new fab.

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RE: 30 into 38 or 36?

By tygrus on 5/29/2006 8:06:27 PM , Rating: 1

I wonder if it will be a knock-down-and-rebuild, extention or just striping the inside for renovation ?

Or may be it's a marketing trick for investors and governement to cover large $$$ expenditure ? It's like renaming CPU's and platforms with little real change from the old.

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RE: 30 into 38 or 36?

By AnotherGuy on 5/30/2006 12:51:17 AM , Rating: 2

who cares what it is... as long as they start making those damn 65nm processors... everybody waitin for!

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RE: 30 into 38 or 36?

By animedude on 5/30/2006 2:02:42 AM , Rating: 2

What do you think upgrade equipments mean?
Knock down and rebuild... Why don't they just build a new one, faster by few months.

They'll probally sell off the 90nm equipments to other company(most likely Spansion, because Fab 25 is 110nm) to cover some of the cost.

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RE: 30 into 38 or 36?

By Viditor on 5/30/2006 5:44:46 AM , Rating: 2

quote:
Why don't they just build a new one, faster by few months

For a couple of reasons...
1. It lets them continue production as they transition
2. AMD produced 45nm SDRAM about 2 months after Intel, so I imagine that Fab 38 will be for 45nm 300mm volume production. By transitioning an existing Fab, they can install 45nm as soon as the each piece of equipment is ready.

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RE: 30 into 38 or 36?

By gerf on 5/30/2006 11:04:17 AM , Rating: 2

quote:
Why don't they just build a new one, faster by few months.

It's really hard to build these buildings. For example, there are a lot of very tight tolerances in these machines. Any movement kills them.

New floors, concrete, whatever, will settle. I've seen it happen in the automotive industry, which is slightly less exacting than chip making. Though it's still exacting.

New structures are not cheap or easy to make, especially in Germany, with their restrictions on land use.

/use the old one

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A Step In The Right Direction

By ExodusCalderas on 5/30/2006 6:57:42 AM , Rating: 2

Well, I wonder when it'll be all ramped up to produce the Brisbanes. Anyone know just how many Fabs are being readied to produce Brisbanes?

RE: A Step In The Right Direction

By obeseotron on 5/30/2006 10:25:03 AM , Rating: 2

Fab 36 will produce brisbanes, AMD will only have 1 65nm fab (of 2 total).

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RE: A Step In The Right Direction

By Viditor on 5/30/2006 6:58:24 PM , Rating: 2

quote:
Fab 36 will produce brisbanes, AMD will only have 1 65nm fab (of 2 total).

You forgot Chartered...they will be 65nm as well.

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Too many eggs in one basket?

By TwistyKat on 5/30/2006 1:11:35 PM , Rating: 2

What happens if there is a major natural or man-made disaster in Dresden?

RE: Too many eggs in one basket?

By Xavian on 5/31/2006 6:16:27 AM , Rating: 2

what disasters? :p

the only seriously plausable one i can think of is the nearby river breaking its banks, but theres no sea nearby for tsunami's, no faultlines for earthquakes, no twisters, no hurricane season.

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