Toshiba to phase out production at three
of its semiconductor plants
Toshiba Corporation has announced reorganization of its
semiconductor production facilities involved in the manufacture
of discrete semiconductor, analog and imaging IC chips.
Toshiba said production will be phased out at three facilities
during the first half fiscal year of 2012: Kitakyushu Operations
(Kitakyushu, Fukuoka prefecture) and Hamaoka Toshiba Electronics
Corporation (Omaezaki, Shizuoka prefecture), which carry
out front-end production of optical semiconductors; and
Toshiba Components Co., Ltd. (Mobara, Chiba prefecture),
an assembly facility for power semiconductors. Toshiba's
three semiconductor-manufacturing facilities at Hijimeji
Operations-Semiconductor (Ibo-gun, Hyogo prefecture); Kaga
Toshiba Electronics Corporation (Nomi, Ishikawa prefecture);
and Buzen Toshiba Electronics Corporation (Buzen, Fukuoka
prefecture) to handle the complete load what all these six
facilities are handling now.
Toshiba says following the reorganization, Himeji Semiconductor
Operations will continue to strengthen its function as a
development center for power semiconductors and small signal
devices. Kaga Toshiba Electronics Corporation, as a main
facility for the power semiconductor front-end process,
will increase capacity on its current 8-inch wafer product
line and expand production to include the front-end process
for optical semiconductors, adds Toshiba.
The other changes and announcements made by Toshiba includes:
Buzen Toshiba will assume the new function of development
center for assembly and packaging technologies for optical
semiconductors.
In the analog and imaging IC businesses, Toshiba will continue
to promote a shift to production on larger wafers to improve
manufacturing efficiency and cost competitiveness. Oita
Operations will halve production on its 6-inch wafer line
during the first half of fiscal year 2012.
Regular employees at the affected facilities will, in principle,
be redeployed within Toshiba Group. Reorganization of domestic
semiconductor production facilities
Now
(up to the 1st half of 2012) |
After reorganization
(after the 2nd half of 2012) |
| Factories |
Products |
Factories |
Products |
| Himeji |
Front end process
Power semiconductors
Small signal devices |
Himeji |
Front end process
Power semiconductors
Small signal devices |
| Kaga |
Front end process
Power semiconductors
Small signal devices
Back end process
Small signal devices |
Kaga |
Front end process
Power semiconductors
Small signal devices
Optical semiconductors
Back end process
Small signal devices |
| Buzen |
Back end process
Small signal devices
Optical semiconductors |
Buzen |
Back end process
Small signal devices
Optical semiconductors |
| Kitakyushu |
Front end process
Optical semiconductors |
|
| Hamaoka |
Front end process
Optical semiconductors |
Toshiba
Components |
Back end process
Power semiconductors |
In addition to the above, Toshiba is responding to the
current economic slowdown and fall in demand for consumer
products, most notably for PCs and TVs in Europe and the
United States, by cutting production at some of its semiconductor
facilities from late November 2011 to early January 2012.
Production will be affected at six facilities in all: three
Toshiba Corporation facilities-Oita Operations, which produces
analog semiconductors and image sensors; Himeji Operations-Semiconductor,
which produces discrete semiconductors; and Kitakyushu Operations,
which produces optical semiconductor devices-and three Toshiba
Group companies, Iwate Toshiba Electronics, which produces
ASICs and MCUs; and Kaga Toshiba Electronics and Hamaoka
Toshiba electronics, which produces discrete semiconductors.
Temporary reductions in working and operating hours will
give Toshiba the flexibility it needs to respond to the
fall off in demand for consumer products. The company will
monitor the market and demand to make optimum decisions
on its operations and production levels after the turn of
the year.
The affected facilities and the scheduling are as below.
| Oita Operations; |
6-day shutdown during Year-end and New-Year's Holidays (Dec.30-Jan.4) plus decrease in production |
| Himeji Operations – Semiconductor; |
Approx. 2-week shutdown including Year-end and New-Year's Holidays (Dec.29-Jan.5) |
| Kitakyushu Operations; |
Approx. 2-week shutdown including Year-end and New-Year's Holidays (Dec.29-Jan.5) |
