South Korean chipmaker Hynix Semiconductor is going to give 1,100 workers in its US plant a pink slip and dismantle operations. Hynix stated the plant is going to be closed because of falling prices for memory chips and 'migration towards next-generation production standards'. In other words, the DRAM and Flash maker doesn't deem the plant located in Eugene, Oregon worthy of having its production lines upgraded.

Hynix is now thinking about what to do with the plant and is considering several options. These include selling plant and all to a third party, sell the property and equipment separately from each other or even 'pursue a similar business'.

Hynix is also having a look-see at its 200mm wafer plants in South Korea. They will either keep on churning out DRAM and IC products or start offering foundry services. If not, then Hynix will sell the outdated equipment. Chip makers worldwide are currently busy selling their used 8 inch wafer fab lines to upgrade to more productive 12 inch, or 300mm lines.

Maybe Hynix will be able to offload the plant to AMD when it spins off its semiconductor fabs in the next few weeks. X