Micron to build 'mega fab' in US. Will it be in Idaho? Here's ...

At its home base in the Treasure Valley, Micron now operates what the company calls a “pilot line” for research and development. The process ... WhenCongresspassedtheCHIPSandScienceAct,authorizingsubsidiesforthesemiconductorindustry,itraisedabigquestionforoneofBoise’slargestemployers.WillthesubsidiesenticeMicronTechnologyInc.toexpandnearitsheadquartersinIdaho?OrwillitgoelsewhereintheU.S.,perhapstotheTexascapitol’sboomingtechhub?RobBeard,seniorvicepresident,generalcounselandcorporatesecretaryatMicron,toldtheIdahoStatesmanonaZoomcallFridaythatthememory-makingcompanywasconsideringlocationsinseveralstatesacrossthecountry,notjustIdaho.“WhatwewouldliketobuildintheUnitedStatesisamassivemanufacturingfacility,”Beardsaid.“Sobig,wecallitamega-fab.”Fabisshortforsemiconductorfabrication,themanufacturingplantswhereDRAM,dynamicrandom-accessmemory,andNANDflashmemoryareproduced.MicronistheonlyDRAMmanufacturerintheU.S.ThecountrygetsmostofitschipsfromTaiwan.ThelegislationapprovedbyCongressauthorizedabout$52billiontoinducecomputerchipmanufacturerstobuildfabs,accordingtoTheWashingtonPost.Micronsaysitsmega-fabwillemploy3,000to5,000people,includingengineers,operatorsandpermanentconstructionworkers.Non-Micronjobscreatedasaresultofthefabwouldbringthetotaltoabout10,000,thecompanysays.IfthecompanyweretoconstructtheplantinIdaho,itwouldrepresentareturnofsortstothedaysMicronmanufacturedchipsonitsBoisecampus.MicronendedmanufacturinginBoisein2009andincreasedproductionatotherfabs,mostlyabroad.ThecompanyhaschipmanufacturingplantsinVirginia,China,Taiwan,Singapore,MalaysiaandJapan,accordingtopreviousreportingbytheStatesman.ItsolditsfabinLehi,Utah,toTexasInstrumentsin2021.“MicronwasfoundedinBoisein1978,”hesaid.“Itwasourfirstmanufacturingcampus.”AtitshomebaseintheTreasureValley,Micronnowoperateswhatthecompanycallsa“pilotline”forresearchanddevelopment.TheprocesstechnologyisdevelopedinBoise,withthechipsmanufacturedelsewhere.Still,about6,000peopleareemployedintheTreasureValley,Micronsaid.Manyofthemarehighlyeducatedscientistsandengineersfromaroundtheworld.”Ianticipatethatwewouldstartconstructingsometimewithinthenextyear,”Beardsaid.“Andagain,itwilldependonhowlongittakesthe(U.S.)DepartmentofCommercetosetuptheprogram.”MicronlaterclarifiedthatitexpectstoseeU.S.fabconstruction,butnotnecessarilyitsown,beginwithinthenextyear.BeardsaidhealsoexpectsothermemorymakerstostartbuildingtheirownfabsinthesametimeframewiththesubsidiesavailableintheCHIPSandScienceAct.AsCongresspassedthelegislation,electronicsconglomerateSamsungfiledpaperworksuggestingithasplanstobuild11newfabsinTexas,accordingtoTheTexasTribune.Idahogovernor,Boisemayorwon’tcommentIt’sunclearwhetherthecityofBoiseorthegovernor’sofficeinIdahoisencouragingMicrontoexpandinthelocaleconomy.EmilyCallihan,communicationsdirectorforIdahoGov.BradLittle,didnotrespondtomultiplerequestsforcomment.MariaWeeg,directorofcommunityengagementforthecityofBoise,alsodidnotrespondtoinquiriesfromtheStatesman.BoiseMayorLaurenMcLeanwroteinaguestopinionpublishedJuly18bytheStatesmanthatshestandswithMicronandsupportstheinvestmentsinthesemiconductorindustry.“ItmeansmakingmoreoftheproductswerelyoninAmerica,includingrighthereinBoise,”McLeansaid.Someworryanewfab,andtheinfluxofworkersitcouldbring,wouldexacerbatethehousingcrisisintheBoisearea.Thecitymadeheadlinesearlierthisyearwhenitshousingmarketwasrankedasthemostunaffordableinthecountry,theStatesmanreportedinJanuary.ThisstorywasoriginallypublishedAugust2,20228:38AM.CORRECTION:Afterthisstorywaspublished,Micronsaidthatthe10,000jobsitestimatesitsnewfabwouldcreateincludenon-Micronworkersinjobscreatedindirectlybythefab.MicronalsosaiditexpectsthesemiconductorindustrytobeginU.S.fabconstructionwithinthenextyearthankstothenewfederalsubsidies,butnotnecessarilyMicron’sownfab.Also,MicrontoldtheStatesmanonSept.6,2022,thatitemploysmorethan6,000peopleintheTreasureValley,notthenearly7,000thataMicronexecutivehadtoldtheStatesmaninearlyAugust.Thisstoryhasbeenrevisedtoreflectthatcorrection.CorrectedAug3,2022 RelatedstoriesfromIdahoStatesman Business Congresspassessemiconductorsubsidies.WillBoise’sMicronexpandinIdaho? July28,20226:54PM Business Biden’scommercesecretarysaysCongressmustpasssubsidyfasttohelpMicron,nation July18,20224:10PM AngelaPalermo twitter email phone 208-377-6285 AngelaPalermocoversbusinessandpublichealthfortheIdahoStatesman.ShegrewupinHagermanandgraduatedfromtheUniversityofIdaho,whereshestudiedjournalismandbusiness.AngelapreviouslycoverededucationfortheLewistonTribuneandMoscow-PullmanDailyNews. Supportmyworkwithadigitalsubscription ReadNext Newhousingandcommercialdevelopments,constructionprojectsandbusinessesaroundtheTreasureValley.Ourlatestupdate. 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