EXPANSION INTO CHINA	9 Months Ended
Jul. 30, 2017
EXPANSION INTO CHINA [Abstract]
EXPANSION INTO CHINA	NOTE 15 – EXPANSION INTO CHINA Expansion of IC Manufacturing into China In May 2017 we announced that we have entered into an agreement with Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. (DNP) to form a joint venture to serve semiconductor manufacturers in China. Under the agreement, our wholly owned Singapore subsidiary will own 50.01% of the joint venture, which will be named Photronics DNP Mask Corporation Xiamen (PDMCX), and a subsidiary of DNP will own the remaining 49.99%. The financial results of the joint venture will be included in Photronics’ consolidated financial statements. This IC investment in China of $160 million, which we initially announced in August 2016, will be based in Xiamen, China. Construction of the facility is currently underway, and production is anticipated to commence in early 2019. Photronics and DNP will contribute cash, in proportion to their ownership percentages, over five years to fund the equity portion of the investment, which will also receive certain incentives and support from the local industrial development zone. The joint venture, itself, may also fund a portion of the investment with local borrowings. The formation of the joint venture, which is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions, is expected to be completed by the end of our 2017 fiscal year. Expansion of FPD Manufacturing into China In August 2017 we announced that Photronics, UK, Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of ours, signed an investment agreement with Hefei State Hi-tech Industry Development Zone to establish a manufacturing facility in Hefei, China. Under the terms of the agreement, through our subsidiary, we will invest a minimum of $160 million, a portion of which may be funded with local borrowings, to build and operate a research and development and manufacturing facility for high-end and mainstream FPD photomasks. Hefei State Hi-tech Industry Development Zone will provide certain investment incentives and support for this facility, which will have initial capability to produce up to G10.5 large area masks and AMOLED products. Construction is planned to begin in late 2017 and production is anticipated to commence in early 2019.

NOTE 15 – EXPANSION INTO CHINA

Expansion of IC Manufacturing into China

In May 2017 we announced that we have entered into an agreement with Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. (DNP) to form a joint venture to serve semiconductor manufacturers in China. Under the agreement, our wholly owned Singapore subsidiary will own 50.01% of the joint venture, which will be named Photronics DNP Mask Corporation Xiamen (PDMCX), and a subsidiary of DNP will own the remaining 49.99%. The financial results of the joint venture will be included in Photronics’ consolidated financial statements.

This IC investment in China of $160 million, which we initially announced in August 2016, will be based in Xiamen, China. Construction of the facility is currently underway, and production is anticipated to commence in early 2019. Photronics and DNP will contribute cash, in proportion to their ownership percentages, over five years to fund the equity portion of the investment, which will also receive certain incentives and support from the local industrial development zone. The joint venture, itself, may also fund a portion of the investment with local borrowings. The formation of the joint venture, which is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions, is expected to be completed by the end of our 2017 fiscal year.

Expansion of FPD Manufacturing into China

In August 2017 we announced that Photronics, UK, Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of ours, signed an investment agreement with Hefei State Hi-tech Industry Development Zone to establish a manufacturing facility in Hefei, China. Under the terms of the agreement, through our subsidiary, we will invest a minimum of $160 million, a portion of which may be funded with local borrowings, to build and operate a research and development and manufacturing facility for high-end and mainstream FPD photomasks. Hefei State Hi-tech Industry Development Zone will provide certain investment incentives and support for this facility, which will have initial capability to produce up to G10.5 large area masks and AMOLED products. Construction is planned to begin in late 2017 and production is anticipated to commence in early 2019.