Mask ROM and NOR flash supplier Macronix International will invest NT$15-20 billion (US$478-638 million) in its newly-acquired 12-inch fab over the next two years, according to company chairman and CEO Miin Wu. The funds will be for equipment and facilities expenditures.
Wu also revealed the company's plans to recruit a total of 1,500 employees for the facility over the next 2-3 years. It currently has over 3,500 employees.
Macronix has acquired one of ProMOS Technologies' 12-inch fabs for NT$8.5 billion, including NT$5 billion worth of production equipment and components.
Macronix now has NT$27.5 billion in cash on hand, which is able to pay ProMOS for the 12-inch plant, Wu indicated.
Macronix' newly-added fab is expected to come online in the first quarter of 2011, according to Wu, adding that monthly production is initially estimated at 10,000 wafer starts. "[The plant] could raise our capacity to an additional 20,000 12-inch wafer output per month and the planned deploying technology node is 45nm," said Wu in a statement.
Macronix was quoted in previous reports saying the new capacity would be used to produce 45nm ROM products and 75nm NOR flash memory.