Credit: Fancycrave Intel and Micron Technology plan to construct a factory in Singapore to produce NAND flash memory, the two partners announced Monday.Intel and Micron plan to create a new joint venture for the Singapore factory. Construction on the plant will begin during the first half of next year. The companies did not disclose the exact amount they plan to invest in the Singapore plant, which will cost “billions of dollars,” according to a statement.NAND flash is a type of non-volatile memory used in digital cameras, MP3 players and other devices. The chips are able to store data even when power is turned off. During the second half of 2008, the Singapore plant will begin production of NAND flash chips on 300-millimeter wafers using a 50-nanometer process. The number used to describe the process technology refers to the size of the smallest feature that can be created on a chip. In chip technology, smaller sizes are better, as this generally helps reduce power consumption, increase speed, and reduce unit production costs by allowing chip makers to fit more chips on a single wafer. The Singapore plant will operate alongside IM Flash Technologies, a joint venture between the two partners in the United States that has two 300-millimeter chip-fabrication plants—one in Virginia and another in Utah. The Virginia plant is already up and running, while the Utah plant will begin production early next year.IM Flash also produces memory chips at an existing Micron plant in Boise, Idaho. By Sumner Lemon, IDG News Service (Singapore Bureau) Related content BrandPost Are tech layoffs inevitable, or can your company avoid them? Despite tech industry layoffs, one ITSM company remains committed to growth and expansion of internal teams. The company’s successful endeavor is largely credited to one difference between TOPdesk and other tech organizations. By TOPdesk Mar 30, 2023 6 mins IT Leadership Analysis CIOs must evolve to stave off existential threat to their role With LOB leaders learning tech faster than CIOs gain business-savvy, IT leaders must strengthen advisory skills, build relationships, and embrace strategic transformation before losing out to business counterparts. By Yashvendra Singh Mar 30, 2023 10 mins Roles Opinion 5 ways AI will transform CRM Recent announcements by Microsoft and Salesforce on how they’re ramping up integration of AI tools into their software offerings mark the start of a revolution in the CRM marketplace. By Martin De Saulles Mar 30, 2023 4 mins Channel Sales CRM Systems Artificial Intelligence Interview From CIO to CX SVP, Cisco’s Jacqueline Guichelaar takes a road less travelled By David Binning Mar 29, 2023 7 mins Careers IT Leadership 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