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In 2002, Wuxi-based Central Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (CSMC) planned to expand its existing 6-inch wafer line and build another 6-inch fab, targeting Chinese chip-design firms that needed mature manufacturing processes. The “king” framing was descriptive, not an official industry ranking—and the expansion timetable was a forecast, not proof that construction or production followed as planned.
What CSMC planned in 2002
EE Times reported on November 15, 2002, that CSMC intended to raise capacity at an existing 6-inch fab from 20,000 wafers per month to 35,000 by 2003. The company also planned a second 6-inch fab for 0.35-micron chips. Raymond Tong, then CSMC’s director of business development, said construction would start by the end of 2002 or early 2003, with production beginning nine to twelve months after groundbreaking. These were plans and estimates reported at the time; the available evidence does not establish whether the schedule was met. EE Times, November 15, 2002
Why CSMC focused on 6-inch mature-process production
CSMC’s strategy was to serve local fabless design houses rather than compete solely on the newest wafer sizes or leading-edge processes. Tong said many Chinese design firms were developing chips at 0.35 microns and above, and described the company’s focus as consumer products using mixed-signal technology. The smaller-wafer, mature-process niche aligned with the needs CSMC said it saw among those customers.
The original report said CSMC was operating at full capacity and sometimes turning customers away. Tong put it this way: “Right now, our fab is 100% utilized,” and “Our core strategy is to focus on the local design houses.” Both are statements from the 2002 report, not descriptions of current utilization or strategy. The story also cited 243 Chinese design houses at the time; that historical figure is not a current industry count. EE Times, November 15, 2002
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How the company developed its foundry business
The 2002 account traced CSMC to China Huajing Electronics Group, a state-run integrated-circuit enterprise formed in the 1980s. CSMC and Huajing established a joint foundry venture in 1998 and shifted from standard chip products toward foundry work. The report also mentioned TPIC, a packaging and assembly venture, and CSMC’s association with Shanghai design-services company IPCore Technologies. EE Times, November 15, 2002
What later company reports said about capacity and services
2006: A broader mature-process offering
CSMC’s 2006 interim report described foundries in Wuxi and Beijing, with processes from 3.0 to 0.35 microns on 6-inch wafers. Its listed technologies included CMOS logic, mixed-signal, high-voltage, non-volatile memory, EEPROM, and DMOS. The company also described services spanning design support, testing, and packaging, and said its customers included Chinese fabless design houses and international integrated device manufacturers. CSMC 2006 interim report
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2007: Three 6-inch lines and a move toward analog
China Resources Logic Limited’s 2007 annual report described three 6-inch lines and more than 100,000 6-inch wafers per month of capacity, alongside 0.35-micron capability. It also outlined a plan to shift the open foundry operation toward analog foundry work. These are figures and plans from that reporting period, not independently verified current operating data. China Resources Logic Limited 2007 annual report
Undated company-published capacity figures
A China Resources Microelectronics company page identifies CSMC Technologies as a subsidiary providing mature-process foundry services. The page publishes capacity figures of over 110,000 6-inch wafers per month and 40,000 8-inch wafers per month, but its publication date is unclear in the retrieved material. They should therefore be read as company-published figures without treating them as confirmed 2026 capacity. China Resources Microelectronics company page
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How to interpret the “6-inch foundry king” description
The phrase captured CSMC’s deliberate positioning in 2002: expand 6-inch capacity to meet reported demand for mature-process fabrication, especially from local design companies. It did not establish a formal industry title or prove that the proposed second fab opened on schedule. Later reports indicate growth in 6-inch operations, while the undated company figures do not provide a fully dated, independently verified snapshot of present capacity.
For context, TSMC’s current corporate page says the company operates one 6-inch fab alongside larger-wafer fabs. That shows 6-inch lines remain part of some foundry portfolios, but the available figures do not support a direct capacity comparison between TSMC and CSMC. TSMC corporate page
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