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AMD to sample Hammer by year-end

And in all its 0.13 micron silicon-on-insulator glory

AMD will sample its 64-bit Hammer processor using silicon-on-insulator fabrication technology - and at 0.13 micron since it's part of the roadmapped strategy, we'd guess - by the end of the year, company COO Hector Ruiz said today.

The first Hammer CPU, ClawHammer, aimed at uni- and dual-processor systems is set to ship early Q3 2002, when it will supersede the Athlon MP and that chip's 0.13 micron successor, codenamed Thoroughbred. AMD rolled out the Athlon MP, running at 1GHz and 1.2GHz, yesterday.

Thoroughbred is due to ship in the first half of 2002. In the workstation and server arenas it will be succeeded by ClawHammer and (in four-way and up systems) SledgeHammer. In desktop systems it will be followed by a 0.13 micron, SOI part codenamed Barton.

By the time Hammer samples, according to Ruiz' timetable, AMD will have chosen a site and a partner with whom it will begin developing 300mm wafer production systems to go live in the 2004/2005 timeframe.

The final quarter of 2001 will also see the chip industry return to "normal business" after the current downturn, Ruiz predicted. "We're beginning to see signs of activity which make us optimistic that by the fourth quarter there will be a resumption of normal business,'' he said. "No one can predict exactly which quarter will be the bottom, but we believe there are signs that the PC market has begun to stabilise. We are seeing a little more activity ourselves and evidence from what customers tell us."

Ruiz said AMD's revenues would grow through 2001, despite the broader industry dip. And the company hopes to continue to win marketshare from Intel, allowing it to reach its goal of 30 per cent of the market within the next 12 months to two years. ®

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