Replies to post #42280 on Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD)

[alan81]

It might be instructive to go back and look at the fab 30 timeline. I am not intimately familiar with it, but it seemed to take years from "putting the roof on" to actually shipping product. This was on a process and product that was essentially copied from SDC and/or fab 25.
--Alan

[Jules2]

Posted by: bobs10
In reply to: Tiger64 who wrote msg# 42232
Date:8/15/2004 2:11:30 PM
Post #of 42284

Well, there's a huge amount of stuff that needs to be done at fab36 once the walls and roof are up. Things like the plumbing; a fab eats up an enormous amount of very pure water. Just running all the pipes is going to take a lot of effort. Then there's the electricity and the back up units. Just running the conduits is going to take a lot of time. Then there's the conveyors for the pods, the lighting, the elevators, the platforms for the equipment etc., etc. Dont' underestimate the time needed to fill the box.

bobs.
A few years ago we converted an old paper mill into a paper recycling plant. We had 130 Electricians, 250 Pipefitters w/helpers, 85 laborers, 45 Plumbers, 35 IT guy's, and 30 Operating engineers. There was so much piping installed in certain places, no one could go thier unless you were a midget or something. This job consisted of three shifts, so tripple the above. ABB Engineering did most of the design work and manufactored much of the equipment that was installed. It was a cost plus job, that means money's allmost no object. It was roughly the same size as Fab-36. I'm not saying there is any real simalarity. However it's amazing how quickly things can get done if you throw enough recources at the job. It took a year to complete the project. Well allmost, after starting they discovered that self adhesive stamps and labels really threw a spanner into the works. They had to redisign a lot of the machinery, cost another six monthes.
At least AMD and the other chip companies have been down this road before.
It was the first time for a plant of it's magnitude for the paper recycling company.

Jules

[SemiconEng]

Well, there's a huge amount of stuff that needs to be done at fab36 once the walls and roof are up............


How fast it gets done, Depends on how much money you want to spend. The record Fab construction from greenfield site, to first wafer start, I believe, is currently held by intel Fab22, 18 months, with tons of money thrown at it. I wouldn't be surprised at double construction costs at that speed. Normal is 24-36 months.

Anyway, you don't actually have to have the Fab's outside walls up first. What actually happens, is that they put up the building's superstructure, and then build the internal cleanroom FIRST. Seal off the cleanroom, start pumping it down, clean it out, then slightly pressurize it, THEN you build the outside structure, put up the exterior walls, plumbing electrical, chemical, etc etc etc, and just "Hook Them Up", to the cleanroom equipment, through what's called "Pop Out's" in the Cleanroom sub floor, or ceiling.

Pretty cool huh?

[Tiger64]

Yes but what if they can shave off three months and start producing 300mm wafers after the first quarter when microsoft comes out with 64 bit operating system...i.e. demand curve might move up dramatically...the computer manufacturers need volume at a good price...this is why I think AMD will run at 90 nm for a full year...maybe overproduce and store some processors and shift over to 65nm at their leisure if AMD 90nm is competitve with intel at 65nm...I believe the market can only absorb so much at a time...