Taiwan confirms plans for single memory maker

AUTHORITIES IN TAIWAN have confirmed plans to merge its DRAM chip suppliers into a single firm.

The country's Ministry of Economic Affairs said that it would be negotiating a deal to bring six of its domestic firms into a single entity known as the Taiwan Memory Company (TMC).

Under the plan, the Taiwan government will take a stake of the new company of less than 50 per cent, keeping TMC from becoming a state-run business.

Taiwan is also hoping to strike an alliance with a foreign chipmakers for both intellectual property and manufacturing technology. Candidates have been narrowed to Japan's Elpida and America's Micron.

The island's government has finally found someone to run the company in the shape of  United Microelectronics vice chairman John Hsuan.

Hsuan will oversee the formation of TMC and seek new intellectual property to help push manufacturing forward.

The company hopes to negotiate the deal within three months and begin officially operating under the TMC banner within the next six months. µ

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Taiwan plans new memory company