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Information extracted from EE Times November 21, 2005 by Peter Clark
LONDON — Micron Technology Inc. and Intel Corp. have announced plans to create a joint venture to manufacture NAND flash memory for use in consumer electronics, removable storage and handheld communications devices, and in particular to manufacture for Apple Computer Inc.
The move is intended to bolster U.S. interests in the non-volatile memory market which is rapidly displacing DRAM in commercial significance and had been led by South Korean manufacturers.
The joint-venture company, to be called IM Flash Technologies LLC, is set to manufacture chips exclusively for Micron (Boise, Idaho) and Intel (Santa Clara, California). The deal is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to be finalized around the end of the year, the companies said. In addition and subject to the closing of the venture, Intel and Micron have each entered into separate long-term agreements to supply Apple with a significant portion of each of their share of IM Flash Technologies' NAND flash memory output. As part of these agreements, Apple would prepay $250 million each to Intel and Micron.
Intel and Micron have agreed to contribute approximately $1.2 billion each in cash, notes and assets with IM Flash owned 51 percent by Micron and 49 percent owned by Intel.
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