Samsung’s Austin Logic Line Breaks Record Achievements

Samsung Austin Semiconductor announced that it has successfully completed the establishment and ramp-to-volume production of its 300mm automated fabrication plant, or fab, S2, in record time. Only five short months after the initial silicon wafer was produced, the line reached its targeted capacity of 40,000 wafer starts per month in October, 2011.

The S2 line is designed to manufacture devices utilizing Samsung’s advanced low-power logic process technology at the 45 nanometer node. Working ahead of schedule to establish a synchronized global production network between Samsung’s facilities in Giheung, South Korea and Austin, Texas, the company is well-positioned to meet the requirements of its customers and secure higher operation efficiencies at the same time.

Based on expertise acquired over an extensive period of semiconductor leadership, Samsung’s latest Austin fab has ramped to target production in record time. A semiconductor fab needs to be an extremely clean environment, and it is pivotal that a constant level of temperature and humidity is maintained, which requires substantial time and resources.

After initiating clean room construction for S2 in August 2010, the company completed the process in just seven months and has ramped to a production capacity of 40,000 wafers per month in just 5 months, an amazing feat considering the first silicon wafer was produced just last May. Both the completion of the automated 300mm clean-room fab and the targeted capacity ramp has been achieved in record time.

To achieve the projected goal of 40,000 wafers per month quickly and efficiently, equipment installation was done after extensive simulation and technical study to guarantee uniformity and synchronized operations among equipment. This level of technical integrity is critical to maintaining high yields during the expansion to high volume of any manufacturing operation.

Samsung’s values regarding the pursuit of excellence allowed it to achieve production targets ahead of schedule while meeting the reliability, electronic characteristics, and stable yield rate requirements on its first attempt thorough planning for optimizing equipment and process parameters were essential to realizing this goal. This achievement has enabled Samsung to meet its leading customers’ product requirements and expectations.

Samsung Austin Semiconductor has grown to more than 2,400 employees in Austin. The company has invested more than $9 billion in its Austin facilities, which is the largest foreign investment in Texas and one of the largest single foreign investments in the United States. Thanks to Samsung’s commitment to excellence, the modern facilities in Austin, Texas, will redefine state-of-the-art semiconductor manufacturing.