Mitsubishi has become the third company to confess it has been approached by the US Department of Justice regarding the anti-trust agency's investigation into the US SRAM market. The DoJ has itself yet to confirm it is looking into the SRAM business, or why.

Mitsubishi didn't say much either, but it did admit the probe might have unforeseen effects on the company. "We are unable to predict the impact these actions will have on the issues relating to this matter including but not limited to a possible adverse affect on our business performance in the future," it said.

Mitsubishi effectively quit the SRAM business in 2003 when it handed over that part of its operation to Renesas, a joint-venture founded by Mitsubishi and Hitachi that year. Hitachi owns 55 per cent of Renesas, Mitsubishi the rest.

That implies the DoJ probe stretches back before April 2003.

Mitsubishi's statement follows the declaration of co-operation with the DoJ that Cypress Semiconductor made last week. At the time, the South Korean press claimed Samsung has also been approached by US investigators. ®