China’s largest chip maker had broken ground on a $7.5bn electronic fabrication plant in Tianjin.
Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC), China’s largest chip maker, began work on the 12-inch wafer fab on Saturday. The company is carrying out the project in cooperation with two local government authorities in the Xiqing district in the southwest of the city.
SMIC was allowed to go ahead with the work after Zhao Haijun, co-chief executive of SMIC, told local authorities the plant would help consolidate Tianjin place in the integrated circuit industry and play a part in the development of the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei high-tech manufacturing region.
When complete, the plant will be able to produce 100,000 12-inch wafers a month and make chips with the relatively large size of 28nm, suitable for use in telecoms equipment, automotive manufacture and consumer electronics.