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Silicon wafers are available in a variety of sizes from 25.4 mm (1 inch) to 300 mm (11.8 inches). [8] Semiconductor fabrication plants (also known as fabs) are defined by the size of wafers that they
are tooled to produce. The size has gradually increased to improve throughput and reduce cost with the current state-of-the-art fab considered to be 300mm (12 inch), with the next standard set to be 450mm (18 inch).[9][10]
Intel, TSMC and Samsung are separately conducting research to the advent of 450mm "prototype" (research) fabs by 2012. Dean Freeman, an analyst with Gartner Inc., predicted that production fabs could emerge sometime
between the 2017 and 2019 timeframe.[11]
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