Elpida Memory plans to raise nearly 80 billion yen through new shares and convertible bonds as it shifts production away from DRAM memory to more profitable smartphone chips.
The company annoucned that it would issue 52.2 billion yen in new shares and
27.5 billion yen in convertible bonds.
The company will use 47,459 million yen to equip wafer fabrication facilities
for volume production using 30 nm and 25 nm process technology in its Hiroshima
Plant and 15,000 million yen will be used to facilitate new TSV
(through-silicon via) lines processes and to invest in research and development
for the next generation of processes by March 2013. The remainder will be
applied to repay a part of its outstanding loans in the amount of 87,188 million
yen due March 2012, the company said.
Elpida Memory believes that the reduction of manufacturing costs and the
development of new technologies are important principles in seeking long-term market competitiveness. In order to further decrease its manufacturing costs,
minute segmentation of processes, realizing smaller chip sizes by renovating
memory cell structures, as well as volume production using 30 nm and 25 nm
process technology will be required.
Elpida needs cash to invest in cutting-edge technology as it chases South Korean
industry leaders Samsung Electronics and Hynix Semiconductor to more profitable
chip lines and defends market share against U.S. rival Micron Technology.
"With respect to development of new technologies, the company remains committed
to the research and development of new memory that may be replaced with DRAM,
and is also focusing on development of 3D implementation technology using TSV
processes to expand memory. The company considers that it is necessary to carry
out the above described capital expenditures and investment in research and
development at an early stage in order to promote manufacturing cost reductions
and the development of new technologies," Elpida Memory said in a statement.
More information in Elpida Memory Inc's investing plans is available
here.