AMD opened its new chip making foundry, Fab 36, in Dresden, Germany yesterday with much fanfare. The new facility is intended to be a centerpiece of the company's growth and expansion. The foundry produces 300mm wafers using 90nm technology, but will support fabrication processes as thin as 32nm. Initial plans were for Fab 36 to produce 65nm wafers upon opening, but those plans had since changed.
Regardless of the delays, AMD has stated that production figures are ramping up as scheduled. The first 90nm production shipments from Fab 36 are expected in Q1 2006 and 65nm production is expected to begin late next year. The facility should be "substantially" converted to 65nm by mid-2007.
The terms 90nm, 65nm, and others refer to the average size of transistors and gates on the circuit. For reference, the HIV virus is around 120nm in diameter and the average human hair is around 80000nm.
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