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Boise-based Micron Technology Inc. and Photronics Inc., a Brookfield, Conn.-based manufacturer of photomasks, have formed a joint venture to develop and make photomasks, which are used in manufacturing semiconductors.
The joint venture, to be called MP Mask Technology Center, will assist Micron in developing smaller microchips and feed its diversification efforts into high-demand products such as NAND flash memory and image sensors. A new Boise photomask factory, to employ 75, will be built for the joint venture.
Photomasks are quartz plates that contain microscopic images of electronic circuits, which are then transferred to semiconductor wafers. They work a little like a stencil, creating a design on semiconductor wafers that determines where components are placed, said Micron Media Relations Director Dan Francisco.
Photronics will give $135 million to MP Mask over three years, while Micron will provide its existing photomask center in Boise. The investment by Photronics will assist Micron with rapid research and development in the field. "We're doing our best...