| SAN JOSE, Calif. — Chinese silicon foundry startup Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC) officially opened its 300-mm fab in a ceremony in Beijing, the company said. SMIC has been processing wafers in the 300-mm fab, known as Fab 4, for some time. Production is slated in the fourth quarter of this year. SMIC said pilot production began in July. The fab will initially produce high-density DRAMs using 0.11- and 0.10-micron process technology, according to an SMIC statement. The Shanghai-based company, China's fast-growing foundry, is sticking to plans to spend $2 billion on capital equipment, but may pull back from plans to spend $1.3 billion in 2005, depending on how the global market develops, according to its chairman, president and chief executive officer (see Sept. 15 story). SMIC also said in a statement that its five fabs in Shanghai, Beijing and Tianjin will be producing 125,000 wafers a month by the end of the year. | 
