Toshiba, along with SanDisk, opened the third 300 mm wafer NAND fabrication plant, known as Fab 5, at Toshiba's Yokkaichi Operations in Japan.
The increased consumer market for tablets, smartphones and electronic equipment continues to generate high international demand for NAND flash memory. Toshiba started constructing the Fab 5 in July 2010. The new fabrication plant is built with manufacturing devices funded by SanDisk and Toshiba to start bulk production in July 2011. At present, Fab 5 utilizes 24 nm process technologies. It will start production of its first wafers in August. The fabrication plant will implement next-generation process technologies. It will begin production using 19nm technology, which is the most advanced and smallest process node.
Fab 5 comes equipped with cutting-edge earthquake-absorbing designs and combines different power compensation approaches to offer protection from sudden disruptions. Energy-saving manufacturing devices and LED lighting will help the fab to achieve 12 % less CO2 emissions than previous facility. A wafer navigation system connects the facility with other fabs to ensure effective manufacturing.
Flash Forward, a joint venture of SanDisk and Toshiba formed in September 2010 provided financial assistance for the superior manufacturing devices present in the fab.
Source: http://www.toshiba.co.jp/