IMEC foresees 450mm wafer availability in 2015

EE Times reports IMEC presented its 450mm wafer fab roadmap:

European nanoelectronics research institute IMEC sees 2015 as about the time when the first extreme ultra-violet lithography system able to run 450-mm diameter wafers will be available and hence as the time it will need to have a dedicated 450-mm wafer clean room available.

Luc van den Hove, president and CEO of IMEC laid out a timeline to a press gathering here. It began in 2012 with 450-mm wafer tool and metrology testing, moving on to 450-mm process development between about 2013 and 2016 and then into advanced production starting in about 2016.

IMEC foresees 450mm wafer availability in 2015 - More news at DV Hardware

Transition to 450mm gaining traction

X-bit Labs reports analysts are starting to see a movement towards 450mm wafer production:

The situation changed dramatically during the first quarter of 2011 following Intel Corp's and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing's Company's near simultaneous announcements that they intend to roll out 450mm. Samsung has also hinted plans to use 450mm wafers. It now looks like Globalfoundries and IBM are also likely to be interested. In addition, there is an initiative by the European Commission to investigate the benefits of setting up 450mm semiconductor manufacturing in Europe, along with IMEC and ASML�s crucial role in the transition execution (together these firms control many of the 450mm patents) and New York State�s subsidized investment in a 450mm tool prototyping complex in Albany, added a geographic and political dimension. As such, even the most die-hard sceptics from the industry have now come round to accepting that 450mm will actually happen, reports Future Horizons market research firm in its September's issue of Global Semiconductor Monthly Report. The transition will dramatically impact the whole chip industry and will likely affect all the players.

Transition to 450mm gaining traction - More news at DV Hardware