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AMKOR, TOSHIBA FINALIZE JOINT VENTURE AGREEMENT
AMKOR IWATE CO. OPERATIONS TO BEGIN JANUARY 1st
CHANDLER, ARIZ., ¨C Amkor Technology Inc. (Nasdaq
¨C AMKR) and Toshiba Corporation¡¯s Semiconductor
Company have finalized an agreement to establish a joint venture
contract semiconductor assembly and test services in Japan.
The joint venture company, Amkor Iwate Co. Ltd., will begin operations
Jan. 1 at the Iwate Toshiba Electronics Co. Ltd., site near Kitakami,
Japan. Amkor initially will own 60 percent of the joint venture
company, a level that eventually will be increased to 100 percent
by the end of the third year of joint venture operations.
Amkor Iwate Co. will take over the operation of the existing assembly
facility at the Toshiba Iwate site and will continue to provide
packaging and test services for Toshiba under a long-term agreement.
Based on that agreement, revenue to Amkor Iwate will be more than
$300 million annually over the three-year agreement.
¡°This landmark agreement brings a new dimension of contract
microelectronic manufacturing services to Japan,¡±
said Amkor President John Boruch. ¡°By combining our
resources with Toshiba¡¯s highly trained staff and
excellent manufacturing facility, we are taking an important first
step in our strategy for expansion in Japan. Amkor has been associated
with Toshiba for many years, providing packaging and test services
and working closely as a partner to develop leading-edge packages
for Toshiba¡¯s semiconductor products. We now will
be the only offshore company to offer contract packaging and test
capability within Japan to all Japanese semiconductor manufacturers.¡±
The president of Amkor Iwate Co. will be Naohiko Urasaki, 50, a
32-year veteran of Toshiba Corporation. His most recent assignment
was as president of Kitsuki Toshiba. He previously saw duty as
senior manager at Iwate Toshiba and as general manager of Toshiba
Malaysia. Other key officers will be named later.
For Amkor, the joint venture affirms its positions as the worldwide
leader in contract semiconductor assembly and test with a strategic
entrance into the Japanese market. For Toshiba, the alliance with
Amkor will provide reduced capital requirements to meet its diversifying
packaging needs, advanced packaging technology and lower costs.
The move fulfills a key Amkor strategy to expand its microelectronic
manufacturing services into a Japanese assembly and test market
estimated by industry analyst Prismark Partners at $8.1 billion
in 1999. Toshiba announced earlier this year that it plans to
outsource some of the assembly and test work it now performs,
allowing it to concentrate its resources on design, process and
wafer fabrication.
Among the long-term joint venture objectives is lowering manufacturing
costs for Toshiba and other customers by creating production efficiencies
and upgrading the equipment. To help accomplish this, Amkor Iwate
will utilize Amkor¡¯s worldwide purchasing organization
to achieve best-cost advantages on materials and supplies. Additionally,
the joint venture will benefit from Amkor¡¯s 30-plus
year¡¯s experience with IC package design, prototype
development, manufacturing and test. The unit will be assisted
by Amkor¡¯s worldwide sales organization to market
its manufacturing and test services to other semiconductor companies
in Japan and throughout the world.
In addition to the assembly and test technology currently in use
at the plant, Amkor plans to introduce technology for manufacturing
RF modules, vision and other advanced packages. The company also
will continue work begun by Toshiba to install production and
test equipment for CMOS image sensors and high-end logic devices.
The joint venture is being formed from Iwate Toshiba¡¯s
assembly and test operations, and will include manufacturing operations
at two independent subcontract assembly houses. These subcontractors
will operate with equipment and materials consigned to them by
the joint venture. Amkor will manage the joint venture operations,
including its relationship with the independent subcontractors.
The Iwate Toshiba wafer fab operation, which includes two eight-inch
wafer fabs, will be the initial customer. A third 12-inch fab
may be added at a later date by Toshiba.
About Amkor Technology: Amkor Technology, Inc. is the world¡¯s
largest provider of contract microelectronics manufacturing solutions.
The company offers semiconductor companies and electronics OEMs
a complete set of microelectronic design and manufacturing services,
including deep sub-micron wafer fabrication; wafer probe, wafer
mapping, characterization and reliability testing; IC packaging
design and assembly; multi-chip module design and assembly; and
final testing. More information on Amkor is available from the
company¡¯s SEC filings and on Amkor¡¯s web
site: www.amkor.com.
About Toshiba: Toshiba Corporation is a leader in information
and communications systems, electronic components, consumer products,
and power systems. The company¡¯s integration of these
wide-ranging capabilities assures its position as a leading company
in semiconductor, LCD and other electronic devices. Toshiba has
191,000 employees worldwide and annual sales of over $50 (US)
billion. Visit Toshiba¡¯s website at http://www.toshiba.co.jp
Forward-Looking Statement: This news release may contain forward-looking
statements that involve risk and uncertainty that could cause
actual results to differ from anticipated results. Further information
on risk factors that could affect the outcome of events set forth
in these statements and that would affect the company¡¯s
operating results and financial condition is detailed in the company¡¯s
filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including
the Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31,
1999.
Contact: Annie Ho
Always Communications
852-2855-7819
annieh@agrapha-group.com
Jeffrey Luth(Investors)
Amkor Technology
1-(610) 431-9600 ext.5613
jluth@amkor.com
Ken Jensen (Media)
Amkor Technology
1-(480) 821-2408 Ext.5130
kjens@amkor.com
Midori Suzuki
Toshiba (Corporate Communications)
81-(3) 3457 3105
midori.suzuki@toshibal.co.jp
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