Innovations are not protected from the bankruptcy
The search for an investor seems hopeless for Qimonda - although the company's products, according to experts are competitive. The slump in the semiconductor market has moved away Infineon's daughter the ground under their feet.
On the outskirts of the Dresdner Heide to the north of the city, the heart of "Silicon Saxony", the largest site for microelectronics in Europe. There shows how quickly the world turns. Because 20 years ago were among the pine forests of the barracks of the Soviet army. Today there modern factory buildings stand next to those of Qimonda Infineon. What will appear in the future in this place is decided in those days.
Currently there only a few people go to work in the morning. Pull in dressing rooms of white suits, put on a mask and then disappear in the clean rooms. The ones who remain of the once 3,000-man staff just keeps the cycle of chemicals in motion, so that production can quickly start up again - when an investor takes. Once, hundreds of people streamed out of the trams in the morning workshop. To them the many photos to remember the entrance to the Qimonda site.
Most of them are already at home. In April, they move to a transfer company, a kind of transition phase, which was either a new job, a training, unemployment or at best, with the return of the clean rooms. For the latter, there is almost no hope.
If the Qimonda story ends now, it would be a disaster for the Saxony state government. The memory chip manufacturer was once the flagship company of the "Silicon Saxony" and was of the politicians like to be recorded as evidence of their success in the development of the East. A total of 218.7 million euro subsidy from Saxony and the federal government spent on the project. The total represents nearly 20 percent of Qimonda's initial investment. Last year, the company piled up to almost two billion euros in losses, according to nearly 250 million € Miesen in 2007.
But not only the Saxon policy could come through the final out of Qimonda in distress. The Free State total risk a severe loss. In the event of bankruptcy, not only the 3,000 employees would lose their jobs. The Saxon state government also fears up to 10,000 jobs in supplier companies. The image of the site would be permanently damaged.
To prevent this, is these days desperately searched for an investor. For a chip manufacturer that produces products such as Qimonda for a climate of extreme competition Hochvolumenmarkt, must invest continuously, otherwise he loses the connection with the manufacturing technology. Is found by 1 April, no investor will be final at Qimonda out the lights.
The surprising thing is: Currently, Qimonda "with the" Buried Wordline still a promising technology to offer. At least Qimonda spokesman Andreas Schaller is convinced. With this technology, Qimonda has jointly developed with Japanese competitor Elpida, small and low-power memory were possible. Already in October, the size of 68 nm has been realized so successfully. The next step would have been implemented in the summer of storage sizes of 46 nanometers, so Schaller, if, indeed, if the insolvency memory manufacturer is not the money had gone. "We were close to the finish line, then we ran out of fuel. With the new chips, we would have been a world leader. "
The scientific community agrees with this assessment in large parts. There you could see Qimonda to insolvency on a promising path: "With the introduction of the new DRAM technology," Buried Wordline "is the reduction of cell size thereof by 25 percent, which is essential for more competitive pricing. In addition, the power consumption by about 30 percent lower, "says Ronald Schnabel, Managing Director of the Association for Electrical, Electronic and Information Technology. "Qimonda intends this technology during the year lead on the 46 nanometer node to-market, which is against the competition a lead of six to twelve months."
Positive, but not quite as euphoric looks Christof Windek, technical editor of Computer magazine c't, the development. "It looks as if the transition is managed in the first generation. But how well a technology is really debatable even super experts, "he says. We learn much later, if the conversion was unsuccessful on a new chip technology. In addition, it would be difficult, how fast the other chip makers are.
In addition to the new technology, Qimonda has also changed its strategy for the year 2007-08 and aims to substantially more profitable and more stable market segments. These include memory for cell phones and servers to achieve in comparison to those in the mass market for personal computers are relatively higher prices. "Whether this strategy can work, can hardly be assessed. It is not clear about whether to bring these markets "in the long term enough money for development and production facilities, says Christof Windek.
The overall situation in the chip market is currently difficult. Manufacturers have pushed through large production capacity and global overproduction, the price considerably. Add to this the drop in demand for memory chips is because of the economic crisis. Qimonda has felt the crisis because of its one-sided focus on DRAMs with full force. Unlike the example, looks at Samsung, the largest player in the market. The Korean conglomerate can balance the losses in the chip market or through other sectors such as shipbuilding and home electronics.
Qimonda other hand, can only hope to external investors in order to survive the crisis. But the search for an investor runs slow. In recent days, hung the hopes of Inspur, a Chinese state enterprise. To convince the Chinese, even the state of Saxony has considered an operating company as to enter at the chip manufacturer. But the Chinese take their time. So far, nothing is decided, "the shape of a possible co-operation is still unclear," said spokeswoman Inspur Sun Mei of the Saxon newspaper.
Why the Chinese are interested in Qimonda at all, no one really knows. According to the newspaper report, the Inspur subsidiary Shandong Sino-Chip Semicon together with other state firms on the initiative of the provincial government of Shandong had been in contact with foreign technology companies because of its own semiconductor industry in Shandong will be built. Consequently, one might conclude it, it would, moreover, the only Chinese on the patents and would include Qimonda Dresden and other locations in Germany, the USA and Portugal. But this danger Andreas Schaller does not - at least not at first. For, as soon the Chinese could not implement the processes for manufacture in its own country, he believes. Moreover, a characteristic especially of the Dresden site by its professionals and research institutions.
For Christof Windek is therefore still hope. It could be that interested in speculating on a further still want cheaper prices, and thus come to Qimonda's strategy, he says. He himself had been expected as the Taiwanese investors, as the local semiconductor manufacturers produce only under license. "With the purchase of Qimonda they had the opportunity to come to the patents," established the c't editor.
Meanwhile, there are at least a first inquiries Taiwan Semiconductor Taiwan Memory giant named Qimonda. The spokesman on Tuesday confirmed one of Qimonda insolvency administrator Michael Jaffe. But Taiwan Memory exists on paper only. To this memory-chip giants to six deficient Taiwanese semiconductor companies unite to overcome the crisis chip together.
Some experts say these days it already, Qimonda easy to let go bankrupt, as the technology for the high investment simply is too expensive. Siemens has begun to develop a semiconductor business with help from IBM and Toshiba in Germany has - she was then in Infineon, in turn outsourced in Qimonda, Infineon - The area will be funded with tax money.
The economist Ulrich Blum has nevertheless called for a rescue of the memory chip producer by the state. "Politicians must think twice about whether they sang a key industry can sink without trace," said the president of the Institute for Economic Research Halle Leipzig People's Daily. Qimonda is the last memory chip manufacturer in Europe. Without the company there is a risk that lack other economic sectors important goods for their own production and they depend on imports.
Related to:
fpcbp136 battery , fpcbp136ap battery , fpcbp160 battery , fpcbp160ap battery , lenovo t61 battery.
Via:
Innovations are not protected from the bankruptcy, which is from http://acer-laptop-batteries.com/ .