SAN JOSE, Calif. & HSINCHU, Taiwan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--IDT® (Integrated Device Technology, Inc.) (NASDAQ:IDTI), a leading provider of essential mixed signal semiconductor solutions that enrich the digital media experience and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TWSE:2330) (NYSE:TSM), today announced they have entered into an agreement to transfer product fabrication processes and related activities currently running in the IDT Hillsboro, Oregon facility to TSMC foundries. The transfer, which has already received approval by both companies and the IDT Board of Directors, is expected to take up to two years to complete and will cover the lifecycle of all products involved.
“Over the past year or so, IDT has been shifting gears towards developing application specific solutions for the communications, computing and consumer markets. Obtaining an agreement with TSMC enables us to take full advantage of their cutting edge manufacturing processes and geometries and is the logical next step in our transformation,” said Mike Hunter, vice president of worldwide manufacturing for IDT. “This agreement, which will combine IDT system expertise and architecture and the TSMC technology platform, expands our overall global manufacturing capability. It also officially starts the countdown for IDT to move from a Fab-lite to a Fab-less model.”
IDT product processes and geometries transferred under this agreement include existing IDT products currently manufactured at the Fab 4 facility in Hillsboro, Oregon at .13 micron process technology and above. These processes and products will be transferred to TSMC over the ensuing two years. The agreement does not include transfer or sale of the process equipment or the IDT facility located in Hillsboro, Oregon. IDT intends to exit the Hillsboro, Oregon wafer fabrication facility at the end of the transfer period and has engaged a third party to market the facility to potential buyers that can continue fabrication operations.
Additional Details from 8K Filing: "On August 3, 2009, in connection with the plan to transition the manufacture of products to TSMC, the Company’s management, with prior approval of the Board of Directors, approved a plan to exit wafer production operations at its Oregon fabrication facility. If unsuccessful in its efforts to sell the Oregon facility to a buyer that can continue fabrication operations, the Company estimates it will incur total charges of approximately $15 million to $25 million to exit the facility. These aggregate exit costs are expected to consist primarily of expenses related to employee severance, retention, and post-employment benefits, and expenses associated with the decommissioning of equipment and the facility. The Company estimates it will incur costs of approximately $10 million in severance, retention, and post-employment benefits, of which approximately $4 million to $6 million is expected to be recorded in the second quarter of fiscal 2010. Costs of approximately $5 million to $15 million associated with closure activities related to decommissioning of equipment and the facility are expected to be recorded in future periods as incurred. Substantially all of the exit costs are expected to result in cash expenditures."
