The board of directors of the Semiconductor Industry Association in San Jose has agreed to seek to raise $125m a year from interested members for the proposed Sematech semiconductor manufacturing technology consortium – provided Uncle Sam is prepared to match the sum with $125m a year from the American tax-payer. It looks for a six-year commitment from the government. The Association is set to begin recruiting members for Sematech among the chipmakers and seconductor capital equipment manufacturers, and is suggesting that each member should contribute 1% of its annual sales; it is thinking in terms of 20 to 30 members. It will soon appoint a chief executive and chief operating office and expects to have membership of the consortium in place by September, by which time it also hopes to have found a suitable site. It sees Sematech making its first chips in late 1988 and expects it to employ 750 or so.
