Intel Opens First Fab in China

Intel Corp. has begun operations within its first fab in China. In 2007, Intel won approval to build a $2.5 billion, 300-mm wafer plant in northern China for chip sets. Intel recently confirmed speculation that it will build a new R&D wafer fab in Hillsboro, OR and upgrade other existing U.S. facilities for 22-nm production at a total investment of between $6 billion and $8 billion. The investment will create 800 to 1,000 permanent high-tech jobs and 6,000 to 8,000 construction jobs. The new development fab in Oregon, to be known as D1X, is slated for R&D startup in 2013.