Micron Technology reportedly will transfer Michael Sadler, the executive VP of Inotera Memories, to its US headquarters in Boise, sparking concerns whether the DRAM-manufacturing joint venture (JV) will be on track to meet its production schedule for 50nm chips.
Inotera has responded saying the personnel change is merely part of a job rotation program, and is subject to approval by its board of directors.
Inotera also claimed it is scheduled to move Micron's 50nm process technology to mass production in the third quarter of 2010, and shift all its production lines to the node by the end of the year.
Inotera slipped back into the red in the first quarter of 2010, mainly due to production losses incurred from its transition from Qimonda's trench technology to Micron's stack. It managed to report profits for the fourth quarter of 2009 after eight straight quarters of losses.
Inotera has two 12-inch fabs with a combined monthly capacity of 130,000 wafers. Micron is allowed to receive half of Inotera's capacity based upon its holdings in the JV.
In late 2008, Micron completed its acquisition of Qimonda's stake in Inotera.