Mysterious partners and Suzhou $5 billion core"

Suzhou is about to put into the construction of the 12 inch semiconductor project fully hanging enough people's appetite.

The first is the industry rumors, the parties denied, then is a large range of rumors and denial; until mid August, a press release from the Japanese semiconductor maker Elpida finally for the investment case verdict -- the total project cost of up to $5 billion, from Elpida, Suzhou venture group and another our partners to set up a joint venture enterprise operation.

What is unexpected, even in Elpida published a joint news, many matters concerned for project cooperation still carefully conceal mentioning. Around the establishment of the project, the three questions remain to be solved: Suzhou chip project, the other partner who is? In the global DRAM chip prices continued to fall on the occasion, the construction of such a large-scale project is too risky? As a government led venture capital company, the first form of direct investment in the form of direct investment in large semiconductor manufacturing projects, behind what is considered?

According to Elpida announced information, will be built 12 inch chip projects with a total cost of $5 billion, the project main plant area of about 91000 square meters, including 1 3 storey reinforced concrete steel truss structure workshop, and other areas, the entire plant area of over 210 thousand square meters, the plant will be officially put into operation in 2010 1 to March, the initial monthly capacity planning for 40 thousand chips, depending on market conditions improve future to 80 thousand.

In this project, he said he would hold 39% of the shares, the remaining 61% stake will be held by the Suzhou venture capital group (hereinafter referred to as Suzhou venture capital) and another partner.

This vague expression has aroused great interest in the outside world, about "another partner" speculation, Germany and Suzhou and memory chip maker Jimengda ship has become the biggest scandal object.

Jimengda is the world's fourth largest memory chip suppliers, formerly the Infineon Corporation's memory products division, 2006, Infineon will spin off the formation of a separate company. At present, Jimengda has a post test chip package factory in Suzhou, the factory by the Suzhou Industrial Park and Jimengda joint venture operations, including Jimengda shares accounted for 72.5%.

And ship technology (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. (also known as Suzhou and ship) is a professional wafer foundries, currently has a 8 inch wafer production line, the maximum monthly production capacity of up to 60 thousand. Because of its former employees founded UMC, and UMC "ambiguous", therefore, the industry generally believe that Suzhou and the ship line Lazi the world's second largest foundry UMC in mainland china.

"Jimengda and Elpida is a strategic partner, not without the possibility of establishing a joint venture. "In September 5th, a veteran of the semiconductor industry in an interview with reporters said," but now wants to buy Jimengda micron, and the possibility of very large, which makes the joint erbida joint venture a greatly reduced jimengda. "

Global memory chip factory micron technology, director of investor relations vice president Kip Bedard (Kipp Bedard) to accept U.S. media said last week that its rival Jimengda company currently in the marketplace, "to create the conditions for the acquisition of the company".

In this case, and the possibility of the ship as a third party partner. A insiders speculated that the NDRC had already passed the examination of the project investment, the new factory named "and" and "and the ship" only difference, and the actual construction of the project site, and is next to the Suzhou ship factory; in addition, originally located in the Suzhou Industrial Park area, the relevant departments have promised, no longer the introduction of a professional foundry, and so the ship as a possibility third party partners greatly; third, and the ship itself has expansion plans, the establishment of the company originally planned 6 production lines, but due to various reasons, so far only a 8 inch line, hindering the development and ship in the mainland.

In this regard, Suzhou and Song Tao, a spokesman for the ship's rumors that the shares denied, he said that the current and the ship did not have the strength to invest in such a large project. However, an insider said in an interview with reporters, the third party partners will come from the capital of Taiwan, but by what means of investment has not been determined. Will's abacus

Suzhou $5 billion core project announced, many industry insiders expressed concern. Due to the oversupply of DRAM chips, including the world's top two memory chips Samsung, Hynix Semiconductor, including major manufacturers have been severely hit.

As far as Seoul itself, the company for 3 consecutive quarters of losses, the investment will be set up contrarian feat is tantamount to a gamble. To make matters worse, analysts believe that the memory chip market is unlikely to make a strong reversal in the second half of the year due to the global economic downturn.

JP Morgan securities analyst Yoshiharu Izumi believes that if the joint venture plans to implement successful share Elpida China market might be improved; however, because the DRAM chip prices fall in Elpida of the joint venture investment will be expected to return, the immeasurable.

He believes that the operating performance of all chip manufacturers are deteriorating, so the industrial sphere battle has come to the final stage, in this case, the offensive force the industry to withdraw from the market, is a long-term effective way to reduce losses, "to produce circuit width of only 50 new nano plant the most advanced technology will use this chip. Single wafer can improve the yield of DRAM doubled, because