Intel broke ground on two new leading-edge chip factories at the company’s Ocotillo campus in Chandler, Arizona.
Advanced domestic chipmaking capacity and capabilities are critical for the sake of both economic and national security. The United States has lost ground in semiconductor manufacturing and is at risk of falling farther behind. With its new IDM 2.0 strategy, Intel is doing its part to bring more balance to the global supply chain. The company is the only semiconductor manufacturer with leading-edge process and packaging research capabilities in the United States, and the company is investing in domestic capacity to support the surging worldwide demand for chips across multiple segments, such as the data centre.
“Today marks an important milestone as we work to boost capacity and meet the incredible demand for semiconductors, the foundational technology for the digitisation of everything,” Pat Gelsinger, Intel CEO, said. “We are ushering in a new era of innovation, for Intel, for Arizona and for the world. This $20 billion expansion will bring our total investment in Arizona to more than $50 billion since opening the site over 40 years ago. As the only U.S.based leading-edge chipmaker, we are committed to building on this long-term investment and helping the United States regain semiconductor leadership.”
The two new fabs in Arizona will not only support the growing demand for Intel’s products but will also provide committed capacity for the recently announced Intel Foundry Services (IFS). With the addition of the two new factories, to be named Fab 52 and Fab 62, Intel’s Ocotillo campus will house a total of six fabs. The new investment will create more than 3,000 high-tech, high-wage Intel jobs, 3,000 construction jobs, and support an estimated 15,000 additional indirect jobs in the local community. When fully operational in 2024, the new fabs will manufacture Intel’s most advanced process technologies.
