Advanced Micro Devices

In March 1993, Fujitsu signed a series of agreements with Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) of the US. These covered the cross-licensing and joint development of technologies, as well as an agreement to set up a joint venture to manufacture and supply flash memory chips, which are a type of integrated circuit used for non-volatile memory applications. The joint venture, Fujitsu AMD Semiconductor Limited (FASL), was incorporated in April 1993. Fujitsu and AMD cooperate to develop the key design and process technologies, which they then transfer to FASL. FASL is responsible for wafer processing and chip production. It sells flash-memory chips to Fujitsu and AMD, who incorporate them into a variety of final products, shipped to worldwide markets. FASL is the world's largest producer of these particular flash-memory chips.