<PAGE> 1
================================================================================
United States
Securities and Exchange Commission
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form 6-K
Report of Foreign Private Issuer Pursuant to Rule
13a-16 or 15d-16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the quarter ended December 31, 1999
Commission File Number 000-27811
CHARTERED SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING LTD
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Not Applicable
(Translation of registrant's name into English)
Republic of Singapore
(Jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
60 Woodlands Industrial Park D
Street 2, Singapore 738406
(65) 362-2838
(Address of principal executive offices)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports
under cover Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Form 20-F X Form 40-F
----- -----
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information
contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to the
Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Yes No X
----- -----
If "Yes" is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in
connection with Rule 12g3-2(b). Not applicable.
================================================================================
<PAGE> 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
1. Other Events
On February 18, 2000 in Singapore, the Company announced the
ground-breaking for its new fabrication facility to be located in Singapore. A
copy of the Company's press release dated February 18, 2000, is attached hereto
as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Exhibits
99.1 Press release of the Company dated February 18, 2000.
2
<PAGE> 3
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunder duly organized.
Date: February 23, 2000
CHARTERED SEMICONDUCTOR
MANUFACTURING LTD
By: /s/ CHIA SONG HWEE
------------------------
Name: Chia Song Hwee
Title: Chief Financial Officer
S-1
<PAGE> 4
EXHIBIT INDEX
99.1 Press release of the Company dated February 18, 2000.
<PAGE> 1
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACTS:
Media Investors
Rita Srinivasan Larry James
65.360.4368 1.408.941.1110
[email protected] [email protected]
Maggie Tan Barbara Kalkis
65.360.4705 Maestro Public Relations
[email protected] 1.408.996.9975
[email protected]
CHARTERED SEMICONDUCTOR BREAKS GROUND ON MEGA-FAB
CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGIES WILL BE MANUFACTURING FOCUS
SINGAPORE -- FEBRUARY 18, 2000 -- Today in a ceremony officiated by Singapore's
prime minister, Goh Chok Tong, Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing
(Nasdaq:Chrt, SGX-ST:Chartered) broke ground on a new "green-field" fabrication
facility at its main Singapore campus located at Woodlands Industrial Park. The
new fab will support the semiconductor industry trend toward outsourcing of the
manufacturing function.
The mega-fab, called Fab 7, will be equipped to support advanced manufacturing
process technologies starting at 0.15 micron. To speed the time to initial
production, Fab 7 is expected to begin providing wafer fabrication services
using the well-proven state-of-the-art 8-inch wafers. The construction of Fab 7
is designed to allow Chartered to put in 300mm equipment, depending on customer
demand and market trends.
Fab 7 and its manufacturing support building will occupy about 4.3 hectares, or
11.7 acres of land. The buildings are currently sized at 775,000 square feet.
The cleanroom production area will be approximately 170,000 square feet, making
it one of the largest eight-inch wafer fabrication centers in the world to be
built at this point in time.
<PAGE> 2
The cost of construction and equipment in the new facility is currently
estimated at approximately US$2.1 billion. First wafer output at the new
facility is expected to occur in mid-2001. The new fab is also likely to employ
up to 1,000 engineers, operators and support personnel.
"To support the industry's increasing reliance on external foundry services and
our customers' expectations for capacity, we have added four new foundries since
the opening of our first fabrication facility in 1989," stated Barry Waite,
president and CEO of Chartered. "This new fab will allow us to maintain our
level of service and meet the business opportunities that our customers present
to us.
"While we have investigated sites around the world for the new fab, we believe
that Singapore provides an ideal location," Mr. Waite continued. "By having our
fabrication facilities close to one another, we leverage the combined strengths
of our resources, knowledge and staff."
According to Joanne Itow, senior analyst at Arizona-based Semico Research
Corporation, wafer demand is expected to increase from 6.5 million wafers a year
in 1998 to an estimated 21.9 million wafers in 2003, amounting to a compound
annual growth rate of 27 percent. Ms. Itow estimates that independent dedicated
foundries like Chartered will supply over 60 percent of this demand.
In January, Chartered announced its intention to double manufacturing capacity
from approximately 700,000 wafers a year to 1.4 million wafers by the end of
2001. The capacity plan is being implemented in stages that will allow the
Company to add capacity on a continuing basis.
The first stage is the completion of Chartered Silicon Partners, or Fab 6, the
Company's joint venture with a subsidiary of Agilent Technologies, Inc., a
spin-off of Hewlett-Packard Company, and EDB Investments Pte. Ltd. The building
was constructed last year and equipment is now being installed and qualified.
Volume production is expected to begin in the middle of this year.
<PAGE> 3
Chartered is also reconfiguring floor space in its existing fabs to provide
additional monthly capacity for an estimated 20,000 8-inch-equivalent wafers.
ABOUT CHARTERED
Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing (Nasdaq:CHRT and SGX-ST:CHARTERED) is one
of the world's leading independent foundries providing wafer fabrication
services. Guided by the tenets of trust, service, partnership, advanced
technology and stability, the Company aims to provide world-class semiconductor
foundry services that enable customers to create and deliver market-leading
system-level solutions. Chartered operates five fabrication facilities that
serve high-growth, technologically advanced applications such as communications
and networking. Headquartered in Singapore, Chartered employs approximately 3400
people at its 10 locations in North America, Asia and Europe.
Chartered completed its global initial public offering in October 1999 and is
traded in the United States on Nasdaq and in Singapore on the Singapore Exchange
Securities Trading Limited (SGX-ST). The Company reported 1999 revenues of US
$694.3 million.
For more information, visit the company's website, www.charteredsemi.com.
This news release contains forward-looking statements, as defined in the safe
harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995. These forward-looking statements -- including without limitation
statements relating to increased capacity, capacity acceleration and the
construction and equipping of our new fabrication facility described herein --
reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events and financial
performance, and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, which could
cause actual results to differ materially from historical results or those
anticipated. For example, changes in the market outlook, customer demands,
delays and interruptions in the construction schedule for our new fabrication
facility due to the lack of building materials, equipment, manpower and timely
regulatory approvals could affect the Company's capacity addition and
acceleration plans. Although the Company believes the expectations reflected in
such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, it can
give no assurance that its expectations will be attained. A description of
certain of the risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to
differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements can be
found in the section captioned "Risk Factors" in the Company's prospectus dated
October 29, 1999. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or
revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise. ###
