News Article
Intel Ireland starts 300mm production
Intel has begun 300mm wafer processing at its Fab 24 in Leixlip, Ireland. In addition, the $2bn facility features Intel's leading 90nm process technology. Fab 24 is the company's fourth 300mm manufacturing facility and Intel's third fab to manufacture semiconductors with 90nm circuitry.
Intel has begun 300mm wafer processing at its Fab 24 in Leixlip, Ireland. In addition, the $2bn facility features Intel's leading 90nm process technology. Fab 24 is the company's fourth 300mm manufacturing facility and Intel's third fab to manufacture semiconductors with 90nm circuitry.
The larger 300mm wafers enable lower production costs, reducing the costs per individual component by some 30%. Additionally, the new technology will use 40% less energy and water for each chip than previous generation technologies.
The 90nm process enables a doubling of transistor density on a given integrated chip of the same size. It is also the first in the industry to use strained silicon to speed up carrier flow and hence the switching of transistors. Strained technology can also be used to lower power consumption if additional performance is not required.
Intel has manufactured semiconductors in Ireland since 1990. Other Intel 300mm fabs are located in Hillsboro, Oregon (D1C and D1D), and Rio Rancho, New Mexico (Fab 11X).
