SMIC starts digging 12-inch fab

SEMICONDUCTOR Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) said it has broken ground on its first 12-inch fabrication plant.

The fab will be built at the Wuhan East Lake New Technology Development Zone in Hubai Province.

A number of liminaries including Politburo members and SMIC executives were wielding the spades at the groundbreaking ceremony.

The Hubai Province government will partly finance the 12-incher. It will be finished by the end of 2007, and will start to churn out semiconductors in the first half of 2008.

Wafer capacity will start at 12,500 and get to 25,000 by 2009, SMIC hopes. µ

* CORRECTION SMIC said it will manage the fab when the Wuban government puts up the money. Also, it already operates a 12-inch fab in Beijing.