Samsung Electronics Co., the world’s second-biggest semiconductor maker, said Tuesday it has begun full production at its new Austin semiconductor plant earlier than planned, at a time when demand for smartphones and tablet PCs is booming.

The company’s new plant in Austin, Texas, reached its target capacity of 40,000 wafers per month in October, a month prior to its initial target, Samsung said in a statement.

Samsung produced the first silicon wafer in May on the S2 line in Austin, an automated plant manufacturing logic chips, which include application processors for smartphones and tablet PCs.

The company has invested more than $9 billion in the Austin facility.

Samsung, which only trails Intel Corp. in the global semiconductor market, has increased efforts to expand its capacity outside of its mainstay memory chip business. 

(Yonhap News)