Micron Technology Inc.'s, sale of its fabrication plant in Avezzano, Italy is one more example of the Boise company clearing its decks in anticipation of taking over a bankrupt Japanese memory chip producer that could reposition Micron in the memory-chip market.

"They are cleaning house," said Mike Howard, a semiconductor analyst with IHS iSuppli and a former Micron employee.

Micron announced Monday that it had sold the wafer fab to the German company LFoundry, which makes semiconductors for other companies.

Micron did not disclose sale terms.

Micron announced in December that it was seeking a buyer for the Italian plant and another one in Israel. The Italian plant makes chips on older eight-inch wafers, while the industry has moved toward 12-inch wafers, which increase chip yields and lower costs.

Micron will shut down the Israeli plant in Kryat-Gat, costing 1,000 jobs, if it cannot find a buyer by 2015, the company has said.

Sale of the Avezzano plant follows the company's decision last year to shut down Transform Solar, a solar power products company in Nampa, and to end plans to make light-emitting diodes in Boise. Those cuts cost nearly 300 jobs.

Micron anticipates closing the deal on the Japanese company, Elpida Memory Inc., later this year.