AMD to spin-off fabrication? - bit-tech.net Forums

CardJoe · 24th Jul 2008, 10:55

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2008/07...-fabrication/1

Comments by AMD CEO Dirk Meyer and CFO Bob Rivet lead to rumours that the company is planning to spin-off its manufacturing ability into a wholly separate company.

BlackMage23 · 24th Jul 2008, 11:21

There are going to be a lot of tough decisions to be made at AMD to keep it going.
Long term it is better to keep the fabs, but if they don't make it past the short term then long term does not matter.

Xir · 24th Jul 2008, 11:44

Quote:
"the company relies on IBM to build and test chips based on a 300mm wafer size"

errr, it develops future technology together with IBM (east Fishkill)...before that with Motorola.

Production however (300mm) is in Dresden-Germany, also production development (APC).

http://www.amd.com/us-en/Corporate/A..._10000,00.html

Also some processors of lower complexity are (were?...sempron) built in Singapore (Chartered)

Gareth Halfacree · 24th Jul 2008, 11:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xir

Quote:
"the company relies on IBM to build and test chips based on a 300mm wafer size"

errr, it develops future technology together with IBM (east Fishkill)...before that with Motorola.

Sorry, I was a bit vague there - the important part was "and test", as AMD don't have the facility to run short 300mm runs for development and testing purposes, relying on IBM instead. At least, that's how I understand it.

Goty · 24th Jul 2008, 22:00

I see this as being a bad move for AMD. Having in-house fabs has numerous advantages, not the least of which being lower productions costs and better control over the development of the manufacturing process, both of which are things that AMD is going to need desperately in the future.

*EDIT* It seems that AMD is denying reports that it's going to sell off its fabs.

Source: http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Desktops-an...-Fab-Sell-Off/

Xir · 25th Jul 2008, 12:16

...besides, the Fabs are de-facto companies of their own (for instance FAB36 is a Company founded on german (saxon) coroprate laws):
AMD Saxony LLC & Co. KG

Oh what a great eweek article:
Quote: In the chip business, manufacturing eats up a vast chunk of the revenue

yeah...it's also the only part that generates revenue in the first place...these people are selling hardware, not ideas.

Quate: AMD converted its Fab 25 in Austin, Texas, into a facility that is now making flash memory for Spansion, a company in which AMD holds a financial stake

Actually AMD founded Spansion, before AMD itself manufactured flash memory (helped it through the downturn before last) before separating the flash-business from the rest and merging it with Fujitsu's flash business to form spansion.
Consisting of AMD'S old microprocessor FAB in Austin (the people that brought you the first aluminum Athlon's, the copper ones coming from Dresden) and Fujitsu's I believe 3 Fabs in Japan.
(more precice, they've worked togethet with fujitsu for over a decade before as FASL)

Ah well...the history of Semiconductor companies is easily forgotten.

Goty · 25th Jul 2008, 16:35

Ok, and the point of your post was?

Amon · 25th Jul 2008, 23:32

So the resulting bodies could have been AMD Semiconductor and AMD Microprocessors?

Sark.inc · 26th Jul 2008, 14:39

I don't think they will sell off the fabs, just change how they do it and how they are made.

Xir · 30th Jul 2008, 16:35

The point is: they could sell Fabs that are individual companies allready ;-)

24th Jul 2008, 10:55	#1
CardJoe Player Character bit-tech Staff Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 8,010	AMD to spin-off fabrication? http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2008/07...-fabrication/1 Comments by AMD CEO Dirk Meyer and CFO Bob Rivet lead to rumours that the company is planning to spin-off its manufacturing ability into a wholly separate company. __________________ this is joe's non-bit-tech blog

24th Jul 2008, 11:21	#2
BlackMage23 RPG Loving Freak Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Temple of Fiends Posts: 159	There are going to be a lot of tough decisions to be made at AMD to keep it going. Long term it is better to keep the fabs, but if they don't make it past the short term then long term does not matter. __________________ I am the Black Mage. I cast the spells that makes the peoples fall down!

24th Jul 2008, 11:44	#3
Xir Supermodder Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Germany Posts: 534	Quote: "the company relies on IBM to build and test chips based on a 300mm wafer size" errr, it develops future technology together with IBM (east Fishkill)...before that with Motorola. Production however (300mm) is in Dresden-Germany, also production development (APC). http://www.amd.com/us-en/Corporate/A..._10000,00.html Also some processors of lower complexity are (were?...sempron) built in Singapore (Chartered) __________________ SN25P A64 3700+ (San Diego) 2 GB DDR400 OCZ Platinum EL 2-3-2-5 1T X1800XT 512mb Sapphire 200GB Samsung SP2004C

24th Jul 2008, 22:00	#5
Goty Supermodder Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Dacula, GA USA Posts: 302	I see this as being a bad move for AMD. Having in-house fabs has numerous advantages, not the least of which being lower productions costs and better control over the development of the manufacturing process, both of which are things that AMD is going to need desperately in the future. EDIT It seems that AMD is denying reports that it's going to sell off its fabs. Source: http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Desktops-an...-Fab-Sell-Off/ Last edited by Goty; 25th Jul 2008 at 02:15.

25th Jul 2008, 12:16	#6
Xir Supermodder Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Germany Posts: 534	...besides, the Fabs are de-facto companies of their own (for instance FAB36 is a Company founded on german (saxon) coroprate laws): AMD Saxony LLC & Co. KG Oh what a great eweek article: Quote: In the chip business, manufacturing eats up a vast chunk of the revenue yeah...it's also the only part that generates revenue in the first place...these people are selling hardware, not ideas. Quate: AMD converted its Fab 25 in Austin, Texas, into a facility that is now making flash memory for Spansion, a company in which AMD holds a financial stake Actually AMD founded Spansion, before AMD itself manufactured flash memory (helped it through the downturn before last) before separating the flash-business from the rest and merging it with Fujitsu's flash business to form spansion. Consisting of AMD'S old microprocessor FAB in Austin (the people that brought you the first aluminum Athlon's, the copper ones coming from Dresden) and Fujitsu's I believe 3 Fabs in Japan. (more precice, they've worked togethet with fujitsu for over a decade before as FASL) Ah well...the history of Semiconductor companies is easily forgotten. __________________ SN25P A64 3700+ (San Diego) 2 GB DDR400 OCZ Platinum EL 2-3-2-5 1T X1800XT 512mb Sapphire 200GB Samsung SP2004C

25th Jul 2008, 16:35	#7
Goty Supermodder Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Dacula, GA USA Posts: 302	Ok, and the point of your post was?

25th Jul 2008, 23:32	#8
Amon inch-perfect Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: cannoning into the reds, Toronto, Canada Posts: 2,456	So the resulting bodies could have been AMD Semiconductor and AMD Microprocessors? __________________ Defunct Socket 939 San Diego 4000+::2GB PC3200::Radeon 9600 SE 128MB::200GB HDD::24" Dell 2407WFP-HC::WinXP x64/x86 dual boot Dell Vostro 1500 laptop::Socket P Merom T7100::2GB PC5400::Go 8600m GT 256MB::660GB HDD::15.4" WXGA+, 24" Dell 2407WFP-HC::WinXP::Fanatec 911 Wheel+Pedals Last edited by Amon; 25th Jul 2008 at 23:41.

26th Jul 2008, 14:39	#9
Sark.inc Multimodder Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 148	I don't think they will sell off the fabs, just change how they do it and how they are made.

30th Jul 2008, 16:35	#10
Xir Supermodder Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Germany Posts: 534	The point is: they could sell Fabs that are individual companies allready ;-) __________________ SN25P A64 3700+ (San Diego) 2 GB DDR400 OCZ Platinum EL 2-3-2-5 1T X1800XT 512mb Sapphire 200GB Samsung SP2004C