Kioxia and Western Digital Open Fab7 in Yokkaichi, Japan
Western Digital Corporation
Kioxia Corporation and Western Digital Corporation celebrated the opening of the state-of-the-art semiconductor fabrication facility, Fab7, at the Yokkaichi Plant in Mie Prefecture, Japan. Production capacity at Fab7 will ramp up in stages over time, in line with market trends.
About one trillion yen is expected to be spent on the first phase of Fab7. Part of the capital investment for phase one of the Fab7 facility will be paid for by a government subsidy that encourages state-of-the-art semiconductor production facilities and helps make sure that Japan can keep making semiconductors.
Fab7 can produce sixth-generation, 162-layer flash memory and future advanced 3D flash memory, and is scheduled to start shipping 162-layer flash memory in early 2023.
The facility uses artificial intelligence to make production more efficient and has a space-efficient design that makes the most of the space in its clean rooms for making equipment. Fab7 is built for safety and sustainability, capable of absorbing earthquake shocks and implements the latest energy-saving manufacturing equipment.
Nobuo Hayasaka, President and CEO of Kioxia Corporation, said:
“Fab7 is the latest and most technologically advanced semiconductor manufacturing facility in Japan and will be indispensable for Kioxia’s future. As the world uses more data on more connected devices, the long-term demand for memory products is expected to rise. We will continue to invest for the future and respond to market needs, in turn helping to build a digital society that enriches people’s lives.”
Dr. Siva Sivaram, President, Technology & Strategy of Western Digital, said:
“With its innovative design and production efficiencies, the new Fab7 facility underscores Western Digital’s commitment to delivering sustainable memory and storage technologies to our customers globally. We value our tremendous relationship with Kioxia and celebrate this milestone as we continue to drive long-term success together.”
Kioxia and Western Digital have been working together in a successful joint venture for over 20 years, and they will continue to do so by developing 3D flash memory together. This will help them take advantage of synergies and stay competitive.
Source: Kioxia
