Elpida Memory recently conducted pilot production of 2Gb DDR3 chips using 40nm coupled with 6F2 process technology at its Hiroshima fab, and has raised yield rates high enough for volume production available in 2010, according to the company.
Elpida said it will initially migrate half of its 12-inch capacity of 130,000 wafers to 40nm process by the end of 2010, and may make further conversion dependent on market conditions.
Elpida's 64%-held subsidiary, Rexchip Electronics, has also announced it aims to covert all of its 12-inch chip production (80,000 wafers a month) to Elpida's 40nm-class node around year-end 2010. But Rexchip said if market demand fails to meet its expectation, only half of its capacity will be migrated to the new-generation process with the remaining utilizing Elpida's 65nm XS.
Rexchip has set a capex budget of NT$12 billion (US$378 million) for 2010. Elpida CEO Yukio Sakamoto was quoted in previous reports that the Taiwan subsidiary would allocate around US$400 million this year.
Elpida and Rexchip also revealed plans to jointly develop 40nm with 4F2 process technology. An R&D center will be established at Rexchip in the first quarter of 2010, allowing the Taiwan-based subsidiary to build and grow its in-house developed DRAM technology portfolio, according to the joint announcement.