Winbond Electronics is confident that it will successfully transform into a niche DRAM and NOR flash maker in 2010, and gradually withdraw from the mainstream DRAM market, according to company spokesperson Wilson Wen. The memory chipmaker's focused product lines now include specialty DRAM, mobile RAM, NOR flash and graphics DDR (GDDR).
Wen said Winbond expects to achieve record revenues generated from its NOR flash products in May. The company has cut into the supply chains of several first-tier chip vendors, Wen added. He did not name any customers.
Industry sources have speculated Winbond has recently landed NOR flash orders from MediaTek and Infineon Technologies, and also new orders for digital TV, HDD, ODD and PC-related applications.
Winbond's total 12-inch capacity is estimated at 35,000 wafers a month, and it is having tight capacity, according to Wen. Instead of building a new plant, Winbond will add equipment to meet growing demand from customers, said Wen. The company expects to ramp up monthly wafer starts at its 12-inch fab to 55,000 units.
In addition, Wen revealed Winbond is in-house developing 46nm process technology, but did not comment on reports that it has hired a R&D team formerly worked for Qimonda. Winbond will see its first set of immersion scanner equipment arrive in September, and expects to start 46nm volume production in 2011.
Previous reports cited industry sources indicating Winbond has quietly recruited part of former Qimonda's R&D team and would develop a 46nm Buried Wordline stack process.