Taiwan-based DRAM chipmaker Powerchip Technology, which has put more emphasis on foundry manufacturing, has grabbed orders for NOR flash memory from Spansion and Silicon Storage Technology (SST).
Powerchip will allocate about 25% of its total foundry capacity for the new orders placed by the two NOR chip vendors, according to the paper.
Powerchip has also secured contract manufacturing orders for LCD driver ICs from Renesas, and orders for analog chips from Maxim, the paper indicated.
Powerchip was quoted as saying in previous reports that it is looking to allocate more capacity to produce panel driver ICs and niche-market memory chips on an OEM basis, while lowering the proportion of output for DRAM products to less than 50%.
In addition, Powerchip has finalized its cooperation pact with Elpida Memory, under which Elpida will purchase all PC DRAM products that Powerchip manufactures, and provide Powerchip with required process technologies for making the chips.
As for the own-brand segment, Powerchip continues to sell its in-house develop NAND flash chips and plans to tap the mobile DRAM market. The company is allowed to use Elpida's 63nm process, as part of its recently-announced deal with Elpida, to produce own-brand mobile DRAM with mass production slated for the end of 2011.
Powerchip now runs three 12-inch wafer fabs in Taiwan with a combined capacity of 120,000-130,000 wafers a month.