STMicroelectronics Lays First Stone for Back-End Plant in China
New facility will enable ST to better serve its local and international customers from world's fastest growing semiconductor market
GENEVA, Nov. 5 / -- STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM), one of the world's largest semiconductor manufacturers, today laid the first stone at the site of its future chip packaging and test facility in Longgang, Guangdong Province, China, in the presence of senior officials of the Shenzhen Municipal government (Xu Zong Heng, Mayor of Shenzhen City and Liu Ying Li, Senior Executive Vice Mayor) and other dignitaries.
ST's Longgang site has been designed to house up to 40,000 square meters of manufacturing space, with a capacity for approximately 5000 employees, when fully built out. The first 20,000 square meter building is expected to be completed by the end of September 2008, followed by the installation of the manufacturing equipment in Q4 2008. When complete, the Longgang plant will be among ST's largest packaging and test facilities worldwide.
In its first year of operation, the Longgang packaging and test plant is expected to produce more than 800 million units. The output can scale to more than 10 billion units per year at full ramp-up, which would represent around 20% of ST's current total back-end production. The Longgang plant will primarily assemble and test ST's industry-leading power conversion devices for use by ST's customers worldwide.
"The Longgang plant will further strengthen ST's presence and influence in the world's fastest growing economic zone, enabling us to better address the expanding needs of both local and foreign customers' operations in China, in the region, and around the world," said Alain Dutheil, Chief Operating Officer and Vice Chairman of the Corporate Executive Committee, STMicroelectronics. "The new back-end facility will significantly reinforce ST's world-class manufacturing machine and enhance our competitiveness by expanding our presence in China's exciting market."
STMicroelectronics is a long-time leader in the China semiconductor market with a strong integrated presence of manufacturing, design, research, sales and marketing operations. In 2006, ST was the fourth largest semiconductor supplier in Greater China (China, Hong Kong and Taiwan).
China is the world's fastest growing semiconductor market, expected to make up one fifth of the global semiconductor market within the next five years.
About STMicroelectronics
STMicroelectronics is a global leader in developing and delivering semiconductor solutions across the spectrum of microelectronics applications. An unrivalled combination of silicon and system expertise, manufacturing strength, Intellectual Property (IP) portfolio and strategic partners positions the Company at the forefront of System-on-Chip (SoC) technology and its products play a key role in enabling today's convergence markets. The Company's shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange, on Euronext Paris and on the Milan Stock Exchange. In 2006, the Company's net revenues were $9.85 billion and net earnings were $782 million. Further information on ST can be found at www.st.com.
Source: STMicroelectronics
CONTACT: Michael Markowitz of STMicroelectronics, +1-212-821-8959, michael.markowitz@st.com
Web site: www.st.com/
