Date: 19/06/2012

Samsung’s new 300mm logic line in Korea announced; targets to complete by end of 2013

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd has announced plans to build a new fabrication line in Hwaseong, South Korea, to meet the growing demands for logic products.

Samsung is to invest 2.25 trillion Korean won in the new fabrication line, which will break ground this month with a target timeline for completion by the end of 2013.

Advanced mobile application processors are produced on 300mm wafers at 20nm and 14nm process nodes using the new fabrication line.

Supply to the expanding need for smart mobile solutions can be availed with the help of the new line. The Lines 9 and 14 have been converted to System LSI fabrication earlier this year, also helps the growing supply needs.

Samsung looks to balance its global semiconductor fabrication expertise with the new investments as well as the addition of Line 16 in Hwaseong. The company also plans to build a new NAND Flash plant in Xi’an, China.

Mr. Stephen Woo, president of Samsung Electronics' System LSI Business, said, "With the construction of our new System LSI fabrication line, Samsung will be able to respond to the demand of the global IT industry and strengthen our ability to support our customers' requirements even further."

According to market research firm Gartner, the demand for system semiconductor chips for use in smartphones and tablets to grow more than 20 percent on average from $23.4 billion in 2011 to $59.4 billion in 2016