And to create space to fabricate all these parts in the volumes that it hopes will be required, Santa Clara, California-based Intel Corp announced that it is investing $400m to expand its Santa Clara fabrication facility to make sub-micron microprocessors and other advanced logic. It will add 250 new jobs over time: production is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 1993. The plant, known as D2, had previously been used exclusively for research and development but will now do volume production as well. California is relieved at the announcement because it is the first major investment in chip fabrication in Silicon Valley for several years. D2 will be Intel’s first plant to process 8 wafers, capable of producing 80% more parts per wafer than Intel’s 6 plants.
