14 DAY TRIAL // In order to ensure full production scales, Intel decided to retool its Fab 11X and make it compatible with the 45nm production standards. Fab 11X is located in Rio Rancho, New Mexico and will be the fourth major factory capable of 45nm manufacturing technologies. Intel is ready to invest between $1-billion and to $1.5-billion into Fab 11X, which will begin 45nm production in 2H 2008.
As you already know, Intel's codename Penryn CPUs will be the first ones to take advantage of 45nm manufacturing standards in late 2007. All 45nm CPUs imply a new lithography process that uses high-k dielectrics and metal gate transistors to reduce transistor size and energy leakage. Moreover, Intel also plans to update the Xeon-family with 45nm cores in Q4 2007.
"Our new 45 nanometer process represents one of the most significant manufacturing breakthroughs in decades and we believe that putting it in our factory in New Mexico will help us deliver the best possible products for our customers," said Intel's president and chief executive officer, Paul Otellini.
"We have worked hard to make New Mexico a center for new technology and this announcement is $1 billion worth of proof that our efforts are working," said Governor Bill Richardson. "This investment sends the message that Intel New Mexico will be here for years to come, and will manufacture some of the most advanced technology in the world."
The first mass-production 45nm cores will be fabricated at Intel's D1D fab in Oregon. Intel is also in the process of finalizing two other 45nm production-capable factories in Chandler, Arizona and Kiryat Gat, Israel, both of which will begin production in 2Q 2008.
Currently, Intel's Fab 11X manufactures 90nm Pentium 4-family processors on 300mm wafers. This has been happening ever since October 2002, when Fab 11X became Intel's first factory capable of producing 300mm wafers in a fully automated process.