Sources close to Intel's plans in the USA have said that its plans to revamp its Hudson site, which it announced last week, is likely to be connected to its plans to move to 12-inch (300mm) silicon wafers. Earlier this year, Intel confirmed it was going ahead with plans to move to 12-inch wafers, which require a more specialised process technique because of the extra fragility of the expense silicon platters. According to our sources, which are not 500 million miles away from Intel's Chandler Arizona Fab 12, already a .18µ (micron) factory, the company will revamp its Hudson fabrication plant and convert it to 300mm and perhaps also to copper technology just as soon as it possibly can. As evidence, the rumour mill points to how the delivery date of Silicon Valley Group's latest 300mm capable MicraScan stepper lithography tool, and the timetable for Intel's refurb of its Hudson factory seem to be practically identical. Intel already has a 300mm (12-inch) development fab in Oregon, and is apparently now happy it can move the technology to other sites. Last week, Intel announced that it was to pump up its Chandler fab and re-furb its Hudson fab. The latter is in Intel's purview after the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) brokered a deal between Digital (now Compaq) and Intel in settlement of alleged anti-trust activities. ® See also Intel a twelve incher Intel outlines 12-inch future