ProMOS Technologies, which plans to build a second 300mm wafer fabrication plant, is looking for equity partners to take a stake in the new US$2.5 billion facility.
The Taiwanese memory-chip maker said the project would be equally funded between equity and debt over five years, with construction starting next year.
ProMOS business operations director Albert Lin said yesterday he expected two equity partners to take 15 to 19 per cent each in the new plant, which would be operated as a separate company.
Mr Lin said discussions were under way with possible partners, but he declined to name them. He said they were not Taiwanese companies and a deal was expected to be finalised in the fourth quarter.
ProMOS is developing its own intellectual property and will not necessarily be looking for investors from within the industry.
The Taiwanese chipmaker had been partnered with Infineon Technologies and relied on its German counterpart for research and development.