FORM 6-K
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549
REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER
PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16 OF
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the month of March 2001
STMicroelectronics N.V.
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(Translation of registrant's name into English)
Route de Pre-Bois, ICC Bloc A, 1215 Geneva 15, Switzerland
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(Address of principal executive offices)
[Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file
annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F]
Form 20-F X Form 40-F
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[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
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[If "Yes" is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the
Registrant in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): 82-______]
Enclosure:
A press release dated February 27, 2001 announcing STMicroelectronics'
inauguration of the R2 Technology Center in Italy.
[STMicroelectronics logo]
PRESS RELEASE COMMUNIQUE DE PRESSE COMMUNICATO STAMPA PRESSEINFORMATION
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PR No. C943H
STMicroelectronics Inaugurates R2 Technology Center in Italy
Center hosts R&D, product design and 8" wafer fab for Flash memories
Milan, Italy, February 27, 2001 - The Prime Minister of Italy, Mr Giuliano
Amato, has today formally inaugurated the R2 Technology Center, the latest
addition to STMicroelectronics' global network of advanced microelectronics R&D
centers and wafer fabrication plants. Located at the Company's site in Agrate
Brianza on the outskirts of Milan, the R2 center is dedicated to the development
and advanced manufacturing of products based on deep submicron Flash and other
non-volatile memory technologies and smartcards, areas where ST has a long
tradition of achievement and is among the world leaders. In addition to an 8"
(200mm) wafer fab for volume production, it also includes state-of-the-art
Research & Development and advanced product design facilities.
Based on the extension and upgrading of the former R1 6" (150mm) wafer fab, R2
has cost some US$600 million to date and the total investment is expected to
reach US$1 billion by 2002.
The formal opening followed an aggressive ramp-up of the facility, which is
already producing 2,500 wafers/week. The present production mostly comprises
Flash memories (from 4 to 64Mb) built with 0.18 micron technology, including 16
and 32Mb devices for cellular phone applications, and 16-bit microcontrollers
containing 2Mb of embedded Flash memory for use in automotive engine management
applications. The immediate development activity is focused on leading-edge 0.13
micron geometries.
The non-volatile memory products that are being developed at R2 are of high
strategic importance as they are key components of fast- growing applications
such as mobile phones, automotive systems, and Set-Top Boxes and other advanced
Digital Consumer products.
"The official opening of our latest 8" fab and R&D center underlines our
commitment to meeting our customers' ever-increasing need for state-of-the-art
non-volatile memories, especially Flash memories. We now have two 8" fabs
dedicated to volume production of Flash, which is also partly manufactured in
our new leading edge 8" fab in Rousset (France). ST's aggressive technology
roadmap is on target to match the capability of the more narrowly focused market
leaders," said Pasquale Pistorio, ST's President and Chief Executive Officer.
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R2 is ST's most advanced center for the development and early production of new
generation Flash and other non-volatile memories, both stand-alone and embedded.
Using state-of-the-art Step & Scan DUV (Deep Ultra Violet) equipment and working
close to the limit of optical lithography, it has been designed to handle 5,000
wafers/week using 0.1 micron technology. The facility includes a 5,600 sq.m
Class 0 clean room - Class 0 is a specification of air purity ten times more
aggressive than the traditional Class 1 - and is operating 24 hours/day and 7
days/week.
Today, the R2 Technology Center employs 1,000 highly qualified people in
research, manufacturing and design. When fully operational, the Center will
employ about 1,250 people.
The Central R&D team in R2 is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities that
will enable ST to achieve its aggressive target of aligning its Flas h
technology roadmap with the semiconductor industry's world roadmap for CMOS
technology. Work has already begun in R2 on the next generation 0.13 micron
Flash technology, which will be followed by 0.1 micron.
In keeping with ST's commitment to achieving environmental neutrality, the R2
Technology Center was designed to minimize energy consumption and environmental
contamination. Exhaust products are segregated to allow more effective treatment
and state-of-the-art technologies are used for the disposal of toxic waste. The
centralized exhaust gas abatement scheme achieves treatment efficiencies up to
99%, leading to emission rates better than ST's already stringent corporate
limits and a gas abatement performance some 20 times better than the legal
requirement.
R2 is one of ST's five operational 8" fab and significantly expands ST's Flash
and non-volatile production capacity, currently centered on the M5 8" fab in
Catania, Italy and, to a large extent, also on Rousset 8" in France. The other
8" fabs located in Crolles (near Grenoble, France) and Phoenix (Arizona, USA)
specialize in complex logic products and System-on-Chip (SOC). In addition, work
is progressing on a new 8" fab in Singapore and construction of the building for
a second 8" fab in Catania, Italy, (known as M6) has just begun.
About STMicroelectronics
STMicroelectronics (formerly SGS-THOMSON Microelectronics) is a global
independent semiconductor company, whose shares are traded on the New York Stock
Exchange, on the ParisBourse and on the Milan Stock Exchange. The Company
designs, develops, manufactures and markets a broad range of semiconductor
integrated circuits (ICs) and discrete devices used in a wide variety of
microelectronic applications, including telecommunications systems, computer
systems, consumer products, automotive products and industrial automation and
control systems. In 2000, the Company's net revenues were $7,813.2 million and
net earnings were $1,452.1 million. Further information on ST can be found at
www.st.com.
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For further information, please contact:
Maria Grazia Prestini Benoit de Leusse
Corporate Press Relations Manager Investor Relations Manager Europe
STMicroelectronics STMicroelectronics
Tel. +39.039.603.59.01 Tel. +33.4.50.40.24.30
Tel. +33.4.50.40.25.32 Fax +33.4.50.40.25.80
mariagrazia.prestini@st.com benoit.de-leusse@st.com
Lorie Lichtlen Jean-Benoit Roquette
Media Relations Investor Relations
Morgen-Walke Europe Morgen-Walke Europe
Tel. +33.1.47.03.68.10 Tel. +33.1.47.03.68.10
llichtlen@mweurope.com jbroquette@mweurope.com
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SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
STMicroelectronics N.V. has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf
by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
Date: March 7, 2001 STMicroelectronics N.V.
By: /s/ Pasquale Pistorio
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Name: Pasquale Pistorio
Title: President and Chief
Executive Officer