Date: 03/01/2011

Toshiba slims its chip manufacturing resources to become fablite

The leading Japanese semiconductor vendor is restructuring its semiconductor fab facilities with an aim to go fablite, the most preferred model compared to fables and fab-heavy.

Toshiba is dividing its chip manufacturing division into two: the Logic LSI Division to make SoC chips on 300mm wafer fabrication lines; and the Analog and Imaging IC Division to make analog and CMOS image sensor devices from its production lines at Oita Operations, including 300mm wafer lines, and Iwate Toshiba Electronics.

Toshiba says the main focus will be general-purpose products in the categories such as analog ICs, CMOS image sensors and digital SoCs and discontinue unprofitable products.

The first step taken to cut fab resources is Toshiba has signed a memorandum of understanding with Sony Corporation, expressing the intent to dissolve Nagasaki Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (NSM) and to transfer 300mm wafer fabrication lines there from Toshiba to Sony.

The Nagasaki Technology Center was purchased by Toshiba from Sony and SCK and leased to NSM in 2008. This facility makes high-performance semiconductors, including the "Cell Broadband Engine" processor and the graphics engine "RSX".