ProMOS

Report: Taiwan scotches chipmakers' merger plan

Taiwan's economic affairs minister has retreated from previous statements that suggested a merger of the country's ailing memory chipmakers was likely, saying it's "too complicated," according to reports.

Instead, Taiwan Memory Co., the new government-backed entity, will focus on acquiring technologies and tapping existing manufacturing plants in Taiwan, according to a Bloomberg report.

Economic affairs minister Yiin Chii-ming and John Hsuan, a former United Microelectronics Corp. executive who was appointed by the state to oversee the formation of Taiwan Memory, are also saying that the scale of the aid plans will be pared back, Bloomberg … Read more

Report: Taiwan to overhaul memory chip industry

Taiwan named a chip industry veteran to head a state-backed company that will merge six memory chipmakers, following pleas from domestic companies desperate for financial aid.

Previous reports had cited an approval for loans, but on Thursday the economic affairs ministry took this a step further and named former United Microelectronics Corp. executive John Hsuan to head a state-backed company, according to Bloomberg. Taiwan's government will hold less than a 50 percent stake.

Taiwan Memory Co. will be established within six months. It has not been decided yet what role Japan's Elpida Memory or U.S.-based Micron … Read more

Taiwan eyes memory chip bailout

Taiwan will likely rescue, in some form, failing memory chipmakers, as that country's industry falls behind the rest of the world.

Recent reports depict an industry desperately seeking financial help. The Taiwanese government has responded by offering loans, according to a variety of reports.

One report on Thursday said that Taiwan's economic affairs ministry has approved a rescue package. No specifics have been revealed, however.

At stake is Taiwan's dynamic random access memory (DRAM) industry. DRAM is the main memory used in personal computers.

Avi Cohen, managing … Read more