Standard MEMS, Philips Invest in German Wafer Fab

BURLINGTON, Mass., Sept. 27 -- Standard MEMS Inc. and Philips Semiconductors, a division of Royal Philips Electronics, have agreed to construct a MOS-8-in. wafer manufacturing facility for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and integrated discrete semiconductors.The facility will be located in Itzehoe, Germany, where it will produce MEMS and CMOS products using 0.35 and 0.25 µm CMOS processes.
The company's research and development teams will research new MEMS products along with the scientific and engineering staff of the Fraunhofer Institute, and other public and private research institutes around Europe. The new facility will contain about 300,000 8-in. wafers per year, said Standar MEMS. Silicon output will be divided between Standard MEMS and Philips Semiconductors, while Fraunhofer and MGB of Schleswig-Holstein will be strategic, financial partners in the joint venture.