Macronix International is in the final stage of reaching an agreement with the buyer of its 6-inch wafer plant in northern Taiwan, according to industry sources.
Among the companies expressing interest in buying Macronix' 6-inch fab, Tokyo Electron is the most likely winning bidder, the sources said.
Macronix has declined to comment on the potential buyers. The maker of mask ROM and flash memory said it is on track to announce the fab sale later in the second quarter.
Tokyo Electron is facing strong competitors who have proposed as high as NT$3 billion (US$108.3 million) for Macronix' 6-inch fab, the sources indicated.
Tokyo Electron, the biggest Japan-based semiconductor equipment supplier, will transform Macronix' 6-inch fab's clean room into a logistic center for components and equipment, the sources said, adding TSMC is among Tokyo Electron's clients.
It is expected to resell the existing wafer manufacturing equipment at the Macronix fab after taking over it, and a Taiwan-based semiconductor equipment maker is said to be the buyer, the sources noted.
Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry) is also among the bidders for Macronix' 6-inch fab, the sources said. Foxconn reportedly intends to make the acquisition through subsidiary Ambit Microsystems, and plans to transform the fab into a training center for its employees.
