The last plant of the Flash Forward (Toshiba + SanDisk) alliance is now operational.
Toshiba and SanDisk have announced the construction of a new common Foundry a little less than a year ago. The Fab 5 of the two allies has just opened its doors, and it should quickly begin producing its first 300 mm silicon wafers. The latter will host flash memory etched a fineness of 24 nanometres. Toshiba said the plant was designed with structures that can absorb shocks produced by an earthquake, and equipment adapted to a potential loss of electrical power.
The Fab 5 is installed in the city of Yokkaichi, in the centre of the Japan, and in the heart of a peninsula (which the protect no doubt from the devastating effects of a tsunami as of March 11). This new facility is also based lighting, and other systems to reduce its electric bill. It will be a transition to 19 nm in some time. Remember that the Flash Forward alliance, which operates the Fab 5, is held at 49.9% by SanDisk and 50.1% by Toshiba, and the two companies will share in the same way the 210,000 silicon wafers produced per month.
