Toshiba and SanDisk have started construction work on a 300 billion yen (US$2.6 billion) flash memory plant in Japan, the two companies said.The factory is being built alongside existing Toshiba plants in Yokkaichi in Mie prefecture, western Japan, and is scheduled to produce its first chips in late 2007.Toshiba will pay for the factory and Flash Alliance, a joint venture formed by Toshiba and SanDisk, will pay for the chip-making equipment and jointly operate the plant. Chips produced in the plant will be equally shared by the two companies. Demand for flash memory chips is rising fast. The devices can store data even when power is switched off and sit at the heart of many portable digital consumer electronics products, including music players, still cameras and cell phones. When production begins, the plant will be capable of processing up to 2,500 wafers per month. The wafers are 300 millimeters in diameter, and thousands of chips can be made on each one. During its first year of operations, capacity will be steadily increased, and the factory is scheduled to handle 67,500 wafers per month by the end of 2008. By Martyn Williams, IDG News Service (Tokyo Bureau) Check out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content brandpost Sponsored by Freshworks When your AI chatbots mess up AI ‘hallucinations’ present significant business risks, but new types of guardrails can keep them from doing serious damage By Paul Gillin Dec 08, 2023 4 mins Generative AI brandpost Sponsored by Dell New research: How IT leaders drive business benefits by accelerating device refresh strategies Security leaders have particular concerns that older devices are more vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks. By Laura McEwan Dec 08, 2023 3 mins Infrastructure Management case study Toyota transforms IT service desk with gen AI To help promote insourcing and quality control, Toyota Motor North America is leveraging generative AI for HR and IT service desk requests. By Thor Olavsrud Dec 08, 2023 7 mins Employee Experience Generative AI ICT Partners feature CSM certification: Costs, requirements, and all you need to know The Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) certification sets the standard for establishing Scrum theory, developing practical applications and rules, and leading teams and stakeholders through the development process. By Moira Alexander Dec 08, 2023 8 mins Certifications IT Skills Project Management Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe