SMIC joins Shenzhen government in US$2.35 billion chip foundry as China pushes for self-sufficiency in semiconductors

  • SMIC and a government fund will back the project, with the Shanghai-based foundry taking a 55 per cent stake and the Shenzhen fund holding 23 per cent 
  • Despite US sanctions, SMIC reported record-high full-year results of US$3.91 billion last year on robust demand for semiconductors in consumer electronics

A Chinese flag hangs from a pole near the Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. headquarters in Shanghai, China, on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020. Photo: Bloomberg

China’s leading chip maker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) said it has entered into an agreement with the Shenzhen government to build a new wafer fabrication plant in the southern tech hub, adding more capacity amid a global chip shortage.

SMIC Shenzhen will focus on mature chipmaking technologies of 28-nanometer and above, with the aim of producing 40,000 12-inch wafers per month, according to a stock filing from SMIC on Wednesday. Production at the new factory is expected to begin in 2022.

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