Elpida Memory Inc. said Wednesday it has signed an accord to transfer technology and outsource production of high-performance memory chips to Taiwan-based Winbond Electronics Corp.
The deal puts Elpida, a key global producer of dynamic random access memory chips, in a tieup with another DRAM maker after recently forging a similar partnership with ProMOS Technologies Inc. of Taiwan.
Under the accord, Winbond will produce DRAM chips, mainly for personal computers, using Elpida's process technology at its wafer labs in Taichung, Elpida said.
Elpida's tieups with Taiwan's DRAM makers reflect its desire to stave off competition from South Korean makers.
"The combination of Elpida's advanced technology and Winbond's rich product manufacturing experience, which includes graphics memory, will enable us to expand our product lineup across a wide range of applications," Elpida President Yukio Sakamoto said.