Semiconductor Leading Edge Technologies Inc (Selete) – the Japanese version of US consortium Sematec, formed last year by 10 Japanese microchip makers – has decided to open up its main project evaluating semiconductor equipment to foreign companies, according to the Nikkei Daily News. Samsung Electronics Co and Intel Corp have both been invited to join the project. The move is designed to reduce the financial burden of each company involved and to help avoid friction in the semiconductor industry. Selete plans to begin a major project in fiscal 1997 to evaluate equipment for fabrication of 300-mm wafers, which are likely to be introduced around 2000. Investment in the project is currently estimated to total $275m.
