SK Hynix to Try Foundry/Custom Model for its CIS Business

ETNews: As Hynix moves into 13MP sensors mass production at its 300mm M10 fab in Icheon in 2017, the company plans to reduce production of the low-priced low resolution CIS at 200mm M8 plant in Cheongju. Instead, it is going to outsource the low cost sensor production to other foundries such as DDIC and PMIC. Eventually, SK Hynix is going to stop low-resolution sensor production at M8 fab.

As a part of this plan, SK Hynix publicly announced that it has recently received all SiliconFile's assets of $3.98 million (4.5 billion KRW) from SiliconFile, which is 100% CIS design subsidiary. Silicon File is becoming SK Hynix’s CIS design house. SiliconFile is supposed to find new fabless customers.

"Experts believe that variety of businesses that have been competing against each other in a field of fabless design can become customers of Silicon File." SK Hynix appointed Director Lee Dong-jae serving as the department head of foundry business department, as SiliconFile board director.

“Receiving company assets from Silicon File and changing Silicon File into a design house indicate that SK Hynix is officially promoting its non-memory semiconductor business,” says ETNews industry source.

Hynix VP KD Yoo who has established and led Hynix image sensor business over the years, left the company and now is a Professor at Hanyang University.

SK Hynix in Cheongju. White building at 2 o’clock is M8