Japan's Elpida to invest 4.5 bln dlrs in huge DRAM plant

0 Comments | AFP, June, 2004

TOKYO, (AFP) — Elpida Memory Inc., the Japanese memory chip maker jointly owned by NEC and Hitachi, plans to invest 500 billion yen (4.5 billion dollars) to build one of the world's largest DRAM plants, an industry source close to the company told AFP.

The plant will begin producing around 10,000 300-millimeter wafers of Dynamic Random Access Memory chips per month starting in late 2005, with output to rise to around 60,000 by 2007, the source said.

The firm would raise funds to finance the project possibly via bank loans, new shares and corporate bond issues, the source said.

An official announcement is expected Thursday.

Elpida Memory officials declined to comment on the plan, which would create the world's largest DRAM plant according to a report...