Renesas Landshut fab transfers to Silicon Foundry Holding
Renesas Technology, a semiconductor solution provider, has transferred all shares of the former Renesas Semiconductor Europe (Landshut) (RSEL), to Silicon Foundry Holding (SFH). The former RSEL facilities in Landshut are owned by SFH, a Germany based company specialising in semiconductor pure play foundry services.
The factory, which started wafer production in 1992, is currently producing secure microcontroller wafers for smart card applications on 0.35 μm, 0.18 μm and recently 0.15μm process technologies. Over a number of years, there has been significant investment to expand the factory and convert it with new process technologies. Changes in the global semiconductor market are driving demand for products with smaller geometries produced on larger diameter wafers. To remain competitive, Renesas has therefore decided to concentrate its wafer fabrication investments in its bigger production facilities located in Japan, avoiding the larger capital investment required to increase flexibility of the facility to support advanced processes and rapidly changing market needs.
Renesas completed a thorough evaluation of all possible options for the future of the Landshut facility as a part of its global strategy, seeking to optimise and utilise its production resources worldwide. During this process, SFH made an alternative business proposal to transform the Landshut facility to an advanced analogue pure play foundry, which Renesas accepted. After the transfer of the fab, Renesas will outsource its products to SFH until December 2009. Furthermore, with 11 sales sites and 4 design sites in Europe mainly concentrated in the UK and Germany, Renesas remains committed to the European market. Renesas Technology Europe will enhance its Munich site by moving Renesas' European quality assurance centre (EQAC) from Landshut to Munich, to provide high quality semiconductor products with sufficient technical support.
Managed by two former RSEL managers, SFH will act as a local pure play foundry, specialising in analogue and mixed signal wafer production, providing a flexible approach to customer requirements. Based in Europe, SFH is in a good position to support a broad portfolio of customers there, including those seeking high flexibility and technology customisation even in low volumes. In this market, which does not conflict with Renesas, there is considerable demand for analogue products available at the Landshut site. SFH can immediately start production without any modifications to the facility and rapidly addressing the existing market demand.
