Intel spends $9 billion on 45 nanometre fabs

WHILE AMD IS introducing 65 nanometre quad-core Barcelona (Intel code-name: K8L) samples into mass production, Intel is building three 45 nanometre fabs: D-1D in Oregon, Fab 32 in Arizona and Fab 28 in Israel.

The combined investment for these three Fabs is worth well over $9 billion, which gives you some reasons why Chipzilla has to fire between 10-12,000 employees worldwide. Some canings will come from gutting marketing and sales people worldwide coupled with India, while Oregon R&D will lose folk too.

But that's another story. Although three fabs will make 45nm CPUs, Intel's 45nm push does not stop there. The company will also convert at least one flash Fab to 45nm, and the most likely candidate is its D2 Fab in Satan Clara. µ