News Article
Chip giants push for bigger wafers
It has been reported that chip makers are exploring a move to bigger silicon wafers to boost efficiency and help them grab market share as demand for gadgets from music players to cameras surges, but only if someone foots the multi-billion dollar price tag.
In the next decade, some say the semiconductor industry could migrate to 18-inch discs from the 12-inch (300mm) wafer currently used in most mainstream chip production, as the new-generation wafers would yield more chips to meet rising demand for gadget such as Apple Incorporated iPod.
Intel Corporation has advocated the need to shift to 18-inch (450mm) silicon wafers by around 2012.
The industry, from semiconductor makers to the companies which make their equipment, needs to agree on how to proceed. But analysts reckon memory chip makers. Samsung also support the move.
