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MEMC operates nine manufacturing facilities in every key semiconductor region in the world, including Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, Europe, and the United States. MEMC's diversity of manufacturing locations ensures a presence in all major semiconductor markets. This has been our strategy since the company's inception over 40 years ago as the first merchant manufacturer of silicon wafers in the world!
On August 6, 1959, St. Louis, Missouri-based Monsanto Chemical Company announced a new ultra-pure "Silicon Metal" electronics division. Construction began immediately on a manufacturing plant in rural St. Charles County, approximately 30 miles west of Monsanto headquarters. The plant was designed to produce silicon "used in the manufacture of transistors and rectifiers". The new business venture, Monsanto Electronic Materials Company, was a culmination of several years of research at two of Monsanto's labs in St. Louis and Dayton, Ohio.
According to the original press release, the rural location of the facility was chosen because, "The nature of ultra-pure silicon is such that it must be manufactured in an area where the atmosphere is free from even the slightest impurities". Today, the St. Peters plant is the largest of MEMC's facilities and serves as the corporate world headquarters. It is also serves as the world headquarters for MEMC's research and development.
The first silicon wafer produced in 1959 was 19mm in diameter!
The 1960's marked a period of steady growth for the company and solidified MEMC's reputation as a technology leader. It was a time of true pioneering work by MEMC scientists in electronic materials. In fact, much of their work remains an industry standard even today. One of these innovations was Chemical Mechanical Polishing. Wafer polishing quickly became a flatness standard because customers were striving for smaller, faster circuits. Over the course of the decade, one-inch wafers eventually gave way to 1.5" wafers. Epitaxial deposition made its first appearance at MEMC in 1966. However, the big story of the '60s, and widely considered a pioneering breakthrough in silicon materials science, was the discovery of Zero Dislocation silicon crystals by MEMC Fellow, Dr. Horst Kramer.
The fact that MEMC and the semiconductor industry experienced simultaneous and sustained growth during the 70's was no coincidence. As the demand for smaller, faster, integrated circuits surged, MEMC added capacity in 1970 with the construction of the Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia facility. Within a few years, MEMC would add crystal and polishing capacity at the St. Peters plant. The 70's were also about technology advancement, as wafer diameters progressed from 2.25" to 5" (125mm) in 1979. Throughout the decade, MEMC helped the silicon industry progress with further Chemical Mechanical Polishing, Zero-D crystal, and wafer flatness innovations.
In the 80's, MEMC continued to forge the technology roadmap. MEMC was the first to commercially introduce 150mm diameter wafers in 1981. A new, state-of-the-art, manufacturing facility was built in Spartanburg, South Carolina to handle the growing demand for silicon wafers. Then in 1982, MEMC pioneered Epi for CMOS applications, a major turning point in the semiconductor industry. By applying an epitaxial layer to the surface of a silicon wafer, MEMC made more advanced applications possible. In 1983, MEMC constructed the Utsunomiya, Japan plant, becoming the first non-Japanese wafer maker with manufacturing and research facilities in Japan. The following year, MEMC became the first wafer manufacturer to commercially produce 200mm diameter wafers, once again, an industry leader.
After 30 years as a division of agricultural and chemical giant Monsanto, the electronic materials division began a new era under the ownership of Hüls AG, a subsidiary of VEBA AG. In April 1989, Hüls consolidated the former Monsanto division with Dynamit Nobel Silicon Holdings, Inc. (DNS) which had been acquired by Hüls in 1987. The new company name: MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc. The DNS Novara and Merano, Italy facilities became part of the MEMC family. The abbreviated moniker of Monsanto Electronic Materials Company, "MEMC", was retained due to brand name equity and customer recognition. A year later, the MEMC World Headquarters was moved from Palo Alto, California, to St. Peters, Missouri.
The new MEMC experienced explosive growth in the nineties through technological innovation and strategic partner alliances. In 1991, MEMC again demonstrated silicon leadership as one of the first wafer suppliers to manufacture 300mm wafers. That same year, the "Posco Hüls Company" (PHC) joint venture was created between MEMC, Samsung Electronics, LTD and Pohang Iron & Steel Co., LTD. The Chonan facility was built to produce 200mm wafers primarily for the Korean market. Three years later, "Taisil Electronic Materials, Inc." (Taisil) was established as a joint venture in Taiwan between MEMC, China Steel, and others. Taisil built the facility in the Hsinchu Science Park in order to serve the growing Taiwan semiconductor market. In 1995, MEMC forged yet another strategic alliance with Texas Instruments called "MEMC Southwest, Inc.". MEMC Southwest began operations by utilizing an existing 6" TI facility. Several years later, 200mm capacity was added with a new, separate, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility.
Because polysilicon is the primary raw material for all silicon wafer manufacturers, MEMC purchased a granular polysilicon production facility from Albemarle Corporation and renamed the enterprise "MEMC Pasadena, Inc.", in 1995. Granular polysilicon provides inherent efficiencies and cost advantages over traditional chunk polysilicon. Furthermore, MEMC believes granular polysilicon has unique advantages in the production of 300mm wafers.
The highlight of the 1990's was MEMC stock trading on the New York Stock Exchange under "WFR". The Initial Public Offering on July 12, 1995 raised more than $440 million dollars in capital. VEBA AG retained a majority interest in MEMC following the IPO and throughout the 90's.
Unfortunately, and much like the entire semiconductor industry, MEMC experienced volatile and negative business conditions in 1998 and 1999. A severe drop in consumer electronics demand, coupled with worldwide over-capacity, forced MEMC (and the silicon industry) into a devastating downturn. However, MEMC survived one of the longest and most severe downturns in history with the title, "Biggest financial turnaround in electronic materials history", according to Rose Associates.
In 1999, parent company and largest shareholder VEBA AG, announced that it had merged with VIAG AG to form one of Europe's largest conglomerates, E.ON AG. In connection with the merger, E.ON decided to divest of all non-core businesses in order to focus on energy. Also in 1999, the Company received a record number of patents. Sixty-two patents were issued worldwide with half being issued in the United States. Two of the most important products developed and presented with base patents were MDZ, and Perfect SiliconTM. Perfect SiliconTM brand wafers are a breakthrough in silicon technology by eliminating crystal defects at the wafer surface and throughout the wafer bulk.
In October 2000, MEMC purchased the 40% interest in PHC from Pohang, Iron & Steel Company, increasing its ownership to 80%. As a result, the joint venture was re-named "MEMC Korea Company".
On November 13, 2001, Texas Pacific Group and its co-investors, entered into an agreement with E.ON AG to purchase E.ON's 72% interest in MEMC and all of E.ON's outstanding loans to MEMC. Founded in 1993, Texas Pacific Group is a private investment partnership with capital of more than $8 billion. The partnership also has close ties to the semiconductor industry. Other technology companies in their substantial portfolio are; On Semiconductor, Seagate, Globespan, and Gemplus. In addition, they also have invested in a much broader range of industries including, Del Monte Foods, J. Crew, Punch Taverns, Bally, Ducati Motorcycles, Oxford Health Plans, and Magellan Health Services. Together with TPG, our goal is to advance MEMC's global position and to secure our place amongst the leaders in the semiconductor industry.
On February 24, 2005, TPG Wafer Holdings LLC, completes the sale(s) of 85,000,000 shares of common stock. TPG's beneficial ownership of the company's common stock is reduced from 63% to approximately 25%.
On August 30, 2005, MEMC celebrated the start of 300mm wafer production at its Taisil facility in Hsinshu, Taiwan with a traditional "Ribbon Cutting" ceremony. MEMC now becomes the first producer of 300mm wafers in Taiwan.
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