Korean chip giant Samsung has broken ground on the second stage of its Hwaseong semiconductor plant development, which could eventually result in a $33bn investment.

This second stage is a 230 acre campus, scheduled to house an R&D facility and up to eight fab lines. Phase one of the campus already houses five fab lines and an R&D centre.

Samsung's first manufacturing complex, Giheung, contains 15 fab lines.

The 300mm R&D centre will begin work in May 2006, and represents an $860m investment. The two floor cleanroom will look at process technologies and materials for both memory and logic chips, said the firm.

The first of the new Hwaseong fab lines will be at least a year away, with the building complete in the first half of next year. Of the eight new lines at Hwaseong, four will be capable of processing 300mm or 450mm wafers.

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