Intel are moving to 450mm wafers

Intel have announced their intentions to move fabrication plants to 450mm wafer sizes, starting with the Oregon plant.

Intel's Mark Bohr – director of processor architecture, spoke to Electronista and confirmed that the company are looking to move from the current 300mm wafer size to a more cost effective 450mm wafer size in the near future.

The Oregan DX1 22nm plant is the first to be targeted and will be updated to allow for production of both 300mm and 450mm wafer sizes, side by side as the company prepares the plant to open in 2013.

While it sounds a simple process, it does have complications but in the long term, if the process is fine tuned and maintained then the manufacturing costs are dramatically lowered and means that Intel can churn out increased quantities, even at lower yields. This will help keep up with demand, even if the 22nm fabrication yields are low initially.

Kitguru says: A good move for Intel, especially long term to meet demands with the new process.

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