Intel announced today that it has started mass-production of flash memory devices using 0.13 micron process technology at its Irish Fab. Reportedly, the company spent nearly £200 million on upgrading the facility.

The largest semiconductor maker requested more than 3000 staff to get a non-paid vacation for two weeks during Christmas Holiday season. The plant was not functioning between December 22, 2002 and January 5, 2003. It is believed that Intel upgraded the facility at that time.

Intel’s Irish fab is located at Collinstown Industrial Park, Leixlip, County Kildare and currently employs 3200 workers and roughly 1000 people as subcontractors. So far Intel invested nearly £4 billion in the fab and will increase the figure towards £5 billion by 2005.

Intel currently produces flash memory at its Fab 11 (Hudson, Massachusetts, USA) using 0.13, 0.18 and 0.25 micron technology on 200mm wafers, at Fab 8 (Jerusalem, Israel) utilizing 0.35, 0.50, 0.70 and 1.0 micron nodes and 150mm wafers as well as at Fab 23 (Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA) using 0.13 micron fabrication process and 200mm wafers.

Thinner manufacturing technology leads to reduction of production costs and also allows increasing the volume of produced flash memory chips.