Powerchip Tech chairman outlines turnaround plans

Powerchip Technology Corp’s (力晶科技) new 12-inch wafer plant in China is set to start mass production by the end of this year as the company prepares for a potential relisting on Taiwan’s stock market, a senior executive said yesterday.
The plant in Hefei, Anhui Province, is operated by Nexchip Semiconductor Corp (合晶集成), a joint venture between Powerchip and the Hefei City Government.
The 12.8 billion yuan plant (US$1.89 billion) will help ease Powerchip’s capacity constraints and play a major role in its capacity allocation plan, Powerchip Group (力晶集團) chairman Frank Huang (黃崇仁) told Unique Satellite TV yesterday.
“Powerchip has an installed capacity of 100,000 a month [in Taiwan], but is still facing a severe capacity problem,” he said.
Hsinchu-based Powerchip, primarily a maker of driver ICs for LCD panels, plans to boost the Hefei plant’s monthly capacity to 10,000 wafers by the second quarter of next year after producing a first batch of chips by the end of this year.
The ultimate goal is to boost the monthly capacity to 40,000 wafers in 2019 and to 80,000 wafers in 2020, the company said.
The Hefei plant would also help Powerchip make room for Nor flash memory production, Huang said.
The company last week said it planned to return to the NOR flash memory sector to take advantage of the strong market demand.
The Hefei plant would be a major manufacturing site for driver ICs, while Taiwanese production lines would be used to make NOR flash chips, Huang said.
He expects severe supply constraints of NOR flash memory chips to extend into the second half and even into next year as global major chipmakers have exited the market.
Powerchip, originally a major Taiwanese DRAM chip suppler, has transformed itself into a foundry service provider focused on making driver ICs, image sensors and power management chips, as well as DRAM chips.
Net profit last year was NT$6.41 billion (US$211.1 million), or NT$2.97 per share, marking a fourth straight profitable year.
Powerchip shares were delisted from the Taipei Stock Exchange in 2012 as the company ran into financial trouble following a slump in the DRAM industry.
Huang said the company is preparing for a comeback and wants to get its share back on the local stock market in the near future.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2017/06/30/2003673552

Graphene set to enable terahertz technology, says team

Terahertz technology enabled via graphene could boost the capacity of future data networks, according to researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden.

Andrei Vorobiev, pictured, senior researcher, said: “One of graphene’s special features is that electrons move much faster than in most semiconductors used today. Thanks to this, we can access the high frequencies that constitute the terahertz range. Data communication then has the potential of becoming up to ten times faster and can transmit much larger amounts of data than is currently possible.”

Researchers at Chalmers have shown that graphene based transistor devices could receive and convert terahertz waves. One example of these devices is a 200GHz subharmonic resistive mixer based on a CVD graphene transistor integrated on silicon. This, says the team, could be used in high-speed wireless communication links.
The university has also developed a graphene based power detector integrated on a flexible polymer substrate and suggests this could be used in wearable THz sensors for healthcare and high resolution interferometric imaging for biomedical and security imaging, remote process control, material inspection and profiling and packaging applications.
“Analysis show that flexible imaging detector arrays is an area where THz applications of graphene have a high impact potential. One example of where this could be used is in the security scanning at airports. Because the graphene-based terahertz scanner is bendable, you’ll get much better resolution and can retrieve more information than if the scanner’s surface is flat,” Vorobiev noted.

 http://www.newelectronics.co.uk/electronics-news/graphene-set-to-enable-terahertz-technology-says-team/156893/

Terahertz technology enabled via graphene could boost the capacity of future data networks, according to researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden.

Andrei Vorobiev, pictured, senior researcher, said: “One of graphene’s special features is that electrons move much faster than in most semiconductors used today. Thanks to this, we can access the high frequencies that constitute the terahertz range. Data communication then has the potential of becoming up to ten times faster and can transmit much larger amounts of data than is currently possible.”
Researchers at Chalmers have shown that graphene based transistor devices could receive and convert terahertz waves. One example of these devices is a 200GHz subharmonic resistive mixer based on a CVD graphene transistor integrated on silicon. This, says the team, could be used in high-speed wireless communication links.
The university has also developed a graphene based power detector integrated on a flexible polymer substrate and suggests this could be used in wearable THz sensors for healthcare and high resolution interferometric imaging for biomedical and security imaging, remote process control, material inspection and profiling and packaging applications.
“Analysis show that flexible imaging detector arrays is an area where THz applications of graphene have a high impact potential. One example of where this could be used is in the security scanning at airports. Because the graphene-based terahertz scanner is bendable, you’ll get much better resolution and can retrieve more information than if the scanner’s surface is flat,” Vorobiev noted.

SK moves closer to building chip powerhouse

South Korea’s third-largest conglomerate SK is on the path to becoming the second-biggest memory chip provider in the world, taking one step closer to acquiring a slice of Toshiba’s chipmaking unit.

SK’s semiconductor business SK hynix and its three strategic partners -- US private equity firm Bain Capital, Development Bank of Japan and Innovation Network of Japan -- were picked by Toshiba as the preferred bidder in the sale of its lucrative memory chip business on June 21.

SK hynix is set to provide loans of 3 trillion won ($2.62 billion), covering around 15 percent of the buyout price for the global consortium.

SK hynix’s participation in the sale is expected to raise the possibility of the company forging an exclusive partnership with Toshiba, the world’s second-largest memory chipmaker, amid the booming chip business driven by growing demand for smartphones.

“It is too early to say SK hynix might own a significant stake in Toshiba, but possibilities are high that the Korean chipmaker would get chances to cooperate with Toshiba on technological development and production,” said Kim Rok-ho, an analyst at Hana Financial Investment.

If the SK hynix consortium becomes the final owner of the Toshiba unit, the Korean chipmaker is expected to jump from its current No. 4 in the global NAND flash chip market to second, trailing only Samsung Electronics.

If the scenario is realized, the global memory chip market -- comprising both DRAM and NAND chip markets -- would be controlled by Korean chip giants Samsung and SK.

Currently, Samsung has a 36.7 percent share in the global NAND flash market, followed by Toshiba with a 17.2 percent share, Western Digital with a 15.5 percent share and SK hynix with an 11.4 percent share, according to market researcher IHS Markit.

SK has continued making aggressive investments in the semiconductor business. SK’s ambition for chips was unveiled in 2011 as the group took over Hynix and jumped into the semiconductor market for the first time. The group also acquired LG’s wafer manufacturing business LG Siltron in January as part of efforts to enhance securing materials for chips.

However, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won said Friday its semiconductor arm’s move to join the acquisition of Toshiba’s chip business is “not finished,” hinting there are still challenges moving forward.

According to industrial sources, the SK deal is expected to face hurdles down the road due to an ongoing legal battle between US-based Western Digital and Toshiba. Western Digital, a long-time ally of the Japanese company, filed a request for arbitration with an international court, in opposition to the sale of the Toshiba unit to the Korea-Japan-US consortium.

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20170628000899

Western Digital says resubmitted bid with KKR for Toshiba's chip unit

Western Digital Corp said it and private equity firm KKR & Co LP had resubmitted a bid for Toshiba Corp's prized flash memory chip unit.
As part of the bid, Western Digital will provide debt financing to facilitate a sale, the U.S. firm said in a brief statement.
Western Digital, which jointly runs Toshiba's main semiconductor plant, has been feuding bitterly with its Japanese partner over the sale of the world's No. 2 producer of NAND chips and has sought a U.S. court injunction to prevent any deal that does not have its consent.
Toshiba is seeking to sign a definitive agreement with its preferred bidder - a group led by the Japanese government and including U.S. private equity firm Bain Capital - by Wednesday, the day of its annual shareholders meeting.
Toshiba did not have immediate comment.
(Reporting by Makiko Yamazaki; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)

http://www.reuters.com/article/toshiba-accounting-idUST9N1IB02I

Imagination Tech up for sale after bruising Apple fight

Imagination Technologies, the British firm that lost 70 percent of its value after being ditched by its biggest customer Apple, put itself up for sale on Thursday in a disappointing end to a once-great European tech success story.
Founded in 1985 and listed in 1994, Imagination has been rocked by Apple's announcement in April that it was developing its own graphics chips and would no longer use Imagination's processing designs in 15 months to two years time.
Apple's decision, which analysts said posed an existential threat to the company, sent Imagination's shares plummeting 70 percent on April 3 and they have barely recovered since.
The stock jumped as much as 21 percent on Thursday, however, after the sale announcement to 149.5 pence, giving the company a market capitalization of 425 million pounds ($538 million).
Analysts said potential buyers could include Intel, Qualcomm, Mediatek, CEVA and various entities from China, while Apple itself could be interested.
"Imagination Technologies announces that over the last few weeks it has received interest from a number of parties for a potential acquisition of the whole group," the company said.
"The board of Imagination has therefore decided to initiate a formal sale process for the group and is engaged in preliminary discussions with potential bidders."


Imagination has said it doubted Apple, which accounts for about half of its sales, could go it alone without violating Imagination's patents. Analysts said legal battles were likely and Imagination started a dispute resolution procedure in May with the U.S. giant, which is valued at $761 billion.
The British company initially responded to Apple's decision to walk away by putting two of its main divisions up for sale.
"That was a pretty dire scenario, akin to selling off the family silver to keep the estate going a little longer," said Neil Wilson, Senior Market Analyst, ETX Capital. "Now the shutters are up and a buyer sought. A pretty ignominious end to what was a great British tech success story."
APPLE RELIANCE
Imagination has licensed its processing designs to Apple from the time of the first iPod and receives a small royalty on every device using its graphics.
Imagination's shares rose sharply between 2009 and 2012 as sales of smartphones boomed, prompting Apple and Intel to buy stakes and the company was valued at more than 2 billion pounds in April 2012. Apple owns 8 percent of the shares.
Imagination struggled, however, to reduce its reliance on Apple, and has faced increased competition from the likes of chipmaker Qualcomm and British rival ARM, which developed its own graphics to complement its core processor blueprints.
Imagination downplayed fears it could lose Apple contract for years. Facing reports that Apple was building a graphics operation and hiring Imagination staff, the British firm told investors that Apple was just improving its customization of the technology Imagination sold, rather than replacing it.


Analysts at Stifel said they thought interested parties could include those groups that want to develop their own processing technology across platforms such as mobile, wearable tech, vehicles and the so-called Internet of Things.
"This could include a coordinated Chinese bid, a hyper-scale vendor from the cloud or some other IP player," they said.

Imagination said on Thursday it had received indicative proposals for its embedded MIPS technology - processors used in vehicles and home appliances - and its mobile connectivity division Ensigma, the two businesses put up for sale in the wake of the slide in its shares.
While Imagination has other clients for its technology, UBS analysts estimated in April that its non-Apple business was worth just 81 million pounds and the MIPS division, which it bought for $100 million in 2013, was worth 77 million pounds.
UBS said the company could be worth 110 pence per share on a sum of the parts basis. In May, Jefferies said the wind up value was about 96 pence a share while Morgan Stanley said the company could be worth as little as 106 million pounds, or just 30 pence per share, though its base case was 95 pence.
The U.S. investment bank said Imagination's headquarters was worth 40 million pounds.




http://www.reuters.com/article/us-imagination-tech-apple-sale-idUSKBN19D0H8

Organic material gives batteries longer life

A new class of material that could make batteries safer, longer-lasting and better performing has been found by researchers from the University of Houston.

Even though aqueous rechargeable batteries featuring low cost and nonflammable water-based electrolytes are safe and robust, they have a short lifespan, making them unsuitable for applications where it isn't practical to replace them frequently.

The problem is the anode as existing anode materials are structurally and chemically unstable, meaning the battery is only efficient for a relatively short time.
To resolve this issue, the researchers used quinones – an inexpensive, earth-abundant and recyclable material – to create stable anode composites for any aqueous rechargeable battery.
"This new material is cheap and chemically stable," said associate professor Yan Yao.
According to Yao, the material can be used to create a drop-in replacement for current battery anodes, allowing the new material to be used without changing existing battery manufacturing lines.
Current research offers evidence that the material is an effective anode for both acid batteries and alkaline batteries, such as those used in a car, as well as emerging aqueous metal-ion batteries.
The new material is also said to allow the batteries to work across temperature ranges, unlike some conventional aqueous batteries.
"One of these batteries, as a car battery, could last 10 years," Yao said.
In addition to slowing the deterioration of batteries for vehicles and stationary electricity storage batteries, it also would make battery disposal easier because the material does not contain heavy metals

- See more at: http://www.newelectronics.co.uk/electronics-news/organic-material-gives-batteries-longer-life/156547/#sthash.y7mo4WKC.dpuf

ew class of material that could make batteries safer, longer-lasting and better performing has been found by researchers from the University of Houston.

Even though aqueous rechargeable batteries featuring low cost and nonflammable water-based electrolytes are safe and robust, they have a short lifespan, making them unsuitable for applications where it isn't practical to replace them frequently.
The problem is the anode as existing anode materials are structurally and chemically unstable, meaning the battery is only efficient for a relatively short time.
To resolve this issue, the researchers used quinones – an inexpensive, earth-abundant and recyclable material – to create stable anode composites for any aqueous rechargeable battery.
"This new material is cheap and chemically stable," said associate professor Yan Yao.
According to Yao, the material can be used to create a drop-in replacement for current battery anodes, allowing the new material to be used without changing existing battery manufacturing lines.
Current research offers evidence that the material is an effective anode for both acid batteries and alkaline batteries, such as those used in a car, as well as emerging aqueous metal-ion batteries.
The new material is also said to allow the batteries to work across temperature ranges, unlike some conventional aqueous batteries.
"One of these batteries, as a car battery, could last 10 years," Yao said.
In addition to slowing the deterioration of batteries for vehicles and stationary electricity storage batteries, it also would make battery disposal easier because the material does not contain heavy metals
- See more at: http://www.newelectronics.co.uk/electronics-news/organic-material-gives-batteries-longer-life/156547/#sthash.y7mo4WKC.dpuf

ew class of material that could make batteries safer, longer-lasting and better performing has been found by researchers from the University of Houston.

Even though aqueous rechargeable batteries featuring low cost and nonflammable water-based electrolytes are safe and robust, they have a short lifespan, making them unsuitable for applications where it isn't practical to replace them frequently.
The problem is the anode as existing anode materials are structurally and chemically unstable, meaning the battery is only efficient for a relatively short time.
To resolve this issue, the researchers used quinones – an inexpensive, earth-abundant and recyclable material – to create stable anode composites for any aqueous rechargeable battery.
"This new material is cheap and chemically stable," said associate professor Yan Yao.
According to Yao, the material can be used to create a drop-in replacement for current battery anodes, allowing the new material to be used without changing existing battery manufacturing lines.
Current research offers evidence that the material is an effective anode for both acid batteries and alkaline batteries, such as those used in a car, as well as emerging aqueous metal-ion batteries.
The new material is also said to allow the batteries to work across temperature ranges, unlike some conventional aqueous batteries.
"One of these batteries, as a car battery, could last 10 years," Yao said.
In addition to slowing the deterioration of batteries for vehicles and stationary electricity storage batteries, it also would make battery disposal easier because the material does not contain heavy metals
- See more at: http://www.newelectronics.co.uk/electronics-news/organic-material-gives-batteries-longer-life/156547/#sthash.y7mo4WKC.dpuf

ew class of material that could make batteries safer, longer-lasting and better performing has been found by researchers from the University of Houston.

Even though aqueous rechargeable batteries featuring low cost and nonflammable water-based electrolytes are safe and robust, they have a short lifespan, making them unsuitable for applications where it isn't practical to replace them frequently.
The problem is the anode as existing anode materials are structurally and chemically unstable, meaning the battery is only efficient for a relatively short time.
To resolve this issue, the researchers used quinones – an inexpensive, earth-abundant and recyclable material – to create stable anode composites for any aqueous rechargeable battery.
"This new material is cheap and chemically stable," said associate professor Yan Yao.
According to Yao, the material can be used to create a drop-in replacement for current battery anodes, allowing the new material to be used without changing existing battery manufacturing lines.
Current research offers evidence that the material is an effective anode for both acid batteries and alkaline batteries, such as those used in a car, as well as emerging aqueous metal-ion batteries.
The new material is also said to allow the batteries to work across temperature ranges, unlike some conventional aqueous batteries.
"One of these batteries, as a car battery, could last 10 years," Yao said.
In addition to slowing the deterioration of batteries for vehicles and stationary electricity storage batteries, it also would make battery disposal easier because the material does not contain heavy metals
- See more at: http://www.newelectronics.co.uk/electronics-news/organic-material-gives-batteries-longer-life/156547/#sthash.y7mo4WKC.dpuf

Spreadtrum to launch 5G chip as early as 2H18

Spreadtrum Communications has assigned hundreds of staff to accelerate R&D of 5G chips, according to company ATP VP Yi Kang.

Spreadtrum has developed a second version of its 5G prototype chips for greater bandwidth, Kang disclosed. The company expects to roll out its 5G solutions as early as the second half of 2018.

Spreadtrum has been working with telecom equipment suppliers Huawei, Ericsson and ZTE to conduct 5G trials, Kang indicated. Spreadtrum is also collaborating with a number of mobile operators, such as China Mobile, and instrument manufacturers and academies in the 5G field, Kang said.

With China Mobile, Spreadtrum is already involved in the telecom carrier's 5G trial networks in several cities, Kang noted. Before 3GPP standardizes the first version of 5G technology, Spreadtrum is looking to roll out its first 5G commercial chip and enter production of the chips as early as possible.

The baseband chip of Spreadtrum's 5G commercial chip solution will be fabricated using TSMC's 12nm process technology, while the radio-frequency (RF) chip will be built using 28nm process technology, Kang said. Both the baseband and RF chips are still in development.

Spreadtrum fell behind its bigger international rivals in the development of 2G, 3G and 4G chip technologies. However, Spreadtrum is looking to keep up with the world's leading technology in the 5G field, Kang said.

Spreadtrum is pursuing an opportunity to catch up with Qualcomm in the development of 5G chips, Kang indicated.

http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20170614PD215.html

Samsung starts production of 64-layer NAND chips

Samsung Electronics announced Thursday that it has begun mass production of 64-layer, 256-Gigabit V-NAND flash memory chips and will apply the cutting-edge technology to the company’s lineup of storage solutions for servers, PCs and mobile applications.

Samsung had been producing the latest V-NAND chips for a limited number of customers since January, but the company had not made it public in order to first gauge real demand accurately and secure its production capacity.

To gain a competitive edge in the memory market, Samsung intends to expand production of the fourth-generation V-NAND chips to above 50 percent of its monthly NAND production by the end of the year, the company said.

The South Korean tech titan is set to start operating a newly built semiconductor plant in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, in late June, and the plant is highly expected to be a production hub for the 64-layer V-NAND chips, according to industry sources.

The Samsung 64-layer 3-bit 256-GB V-NAND features a data transfer speed of 1 gigabits per second, which is the fastest among currently available NAND flash memory. The new 64-layer V-NAND provides more than a 30 percent productivity gain compared to the 48-layer 256 GB V-NAND that preceded it.

“We will keep developing next-generation V-NAND products in sync with the global IT industry so that we can contribute to the timeliest launches of new systems and services in bringing a higher level of satisfaction to consumers,” said Kye Hyun-kyung, executive vice president of the flash product and technology team at Samsung Electronics.

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20170615000735

Wireless SoCs Enable Advanced Infotainment, Telematics and Wi-Fi Gateways for the Connected Car

Marvell Semiconductor, Inc. has rolled out what it claims is the first automotive-grade system-on-chip (SoC) that integrates the latest Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) capabilities.
The 88W8987xA SoC offers a footprint-compatible solution to enable car makers to simplify wireless enablement for in-vehicle infotainment (IVI), secure telematics, in-car wireless gateways and enhanced safety capabilities, Marvell says
The SoC family works with the 88Q2112 automotive Ethernet physical layer (PHY) transceiver for complete wired and wireless connectivity in the connected car. The PHY chip enables 1000BASE-T1 gigabit Ethernet over a single twisted pair copper cable for distributing HD video, audio and voice for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and IVI applications.

http://electronics360.globalspec.com/article/8952/wireless-socs-enable-advanced-infotainment-telematics-and-wi-fi-gateways-for-the-connected-car

Digitimes Research: China striving to raise IC self-sufficiency

China is striving to substantially improve the self-sufficiency rate for ICs in the nation. With strong government support, manufacturing capacities at China-based IC foundries and backend firms are set to expand significantly during the period of the country's 13th five-year plan, according to Digitimes Research.

China-based suppliers of processors, FPGA chips, IoT and information security related chips, and memory chips are also being supported by local governments according to the central government's "Internet Plus" and "Made in China 2025" initiatives, said Digitimes Research.

During China's 13th FYP period, China aims to increase the number of 4.5/5G base stations locally while expanding the fiber backbone network and pushing data center expansion for a high rate of network Infrastructure penetration, Digitimes Research indicated. Demand for related chips such as server processors and memory ICs made locally will be robust.

China's central government has also shifted from direct financial support to subsidies through government-led investment funds during the country's 13th FYP period, Digitimes Research noted. The investment funds will provide local companies financial support to foster the development of local IC industry sectors.

http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20170612PD208.html

DARPA Funds Development of New Type of Processor

LAKE WALES, Fla. — A completely new kind of non-von-Neumann processor called a HIVE — Hierarchical Identify Verify Exploit — is being funded by the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) to the tune of $80 million over four-and-a-half years. Chipmakers Intel and Qualcomm are participating in the project, along with a national laboratory, a university and a defense contractor North Grumman. 

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (Richland, Washington) and Georgia Tech are involved in creating software tools for the processor while Northrup Grumman will build a Baltimore center that uncovers and transfers the Defense Departments graph analytic needs for the what is being called the world's first graph analytic processor (GAP).

http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1331871

Advanced chip fab drives Toshiba Memory's $18bn price tag

Crown jewel's value underpinned by accumulated expertise, experience

TOKYO -- Toshiba Memory's 2 trillion yen ($18.3 billion) valuation for a planned sale stems largely from the perceived competitive advantage offered by the Toshiba spinoff's flagship chipmaking complex in Japan.
The four buildings arrayed on a small hill in the Mie Prefecture city of Yokkaichi are abuzz with activity. The proliferation of smartphones and data centers has fueled brisk demand for flash memory, and a senior Toshiba official said chips are being sold as fast as they are made. Production yields for cutting-edge 3-D flash memory, in which memory cells are stacked atop each other to increase capacity, are improving in line with expectations.
For Toshiba Memory bidders, the Yokkaichi complex's long history represents a rare and valuable asset. Toshiba and SanDisk have held chip manufacturing equipment there since signing a joint venture contract in 1999, even after SanDisk's acquisition by U.S. company Western Digital last year.
The joint venture agreements divvy up chip shipments between the two sides based on interest in the ventures, with chip design and production technology development handled by teams of engineers from both companies. The actual manufacturing work has been done by Toshiba for the past 15 years, with SanDisk, and now Western Digital, paying a fee.
The two sides jointly operate facilities for "upstream" processes, or printing circuits on wafers. Yet despite this partnership, they compete in the marketplace. The relationship offers a rare example of rival companies sharing a manufacturing base.
Capital spending by the partners at Yokkaichi has surpassed 3.5 trillion yen. The concentration of so much capacity in one place allows for more efficient procurement of materials and production equipment and helps cultivate a high degree of technical expertise. This formula for success, honed through years of practice, is not typically something money can buy -- hence the 2 trillion yen price tag the Japanese conglomerate seeks for Toshiba Memory.
Yet Samsung Electronics has more money to invest, given its wide array of profit sources including dynamic random-access memory, or DRAM, and organic light-emitting diode panels. Though the Toshiba-Western Digital alliance has the South Korean company beat on output capacity in wafer terms, Samsung holds the edge in productivity thanks to top-of-the-line equipment, and it ranks No. 1 in chip shipments. The use of a single production hub also leaves Toshiba and Western Digital more exposed to the risk of damage from a natural disaster.
The partners have been feuding over the planned sale of Toshiba Memory. Western Digital has sought arbitration to block the move -- a request it has not withdrawn despite recent progress toward a rapprochement -- while Toshiba insists the sale does not violate any contracts. Some engineers grumble that the squabbling only helps Samsung.

http://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/Advanced-chip-fab-drives-Toshiba-Memory-s-18bn-price-tag

Western Digital considering new memory plant in western Japan: source

Western Digital is considering fresh investment to build another flash memory chip plant in western Japan in an effort to show its commitment to the country, a source familiar with the matter said.
The California-based company is embroiled in a dispute with business partner Toshiba Corp over plans to sell the Japanese firm's prized semiconductor unit and is arguing that it should be given exclusive negotiating rights.
The two firms operate four memory chip plants in Yokkaichi through their joint ventures. Their fifth plant is currently under construction.
The amount of investment and a timeline for the plant's construction have not been decided, the source said, who was not authorized to speak on the matter and declined to be identified.
The source also said Western Digital CEO Stephen Milligan will visit Japan next week for talks with Toshiba to resolve the spat.
A spokesman for Western Digital could not be immediately reached for comment.
(Reporting by Makiko Yamazaki; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-toshiba-accounting-western-digital-idUSKBN18S4EA