Texas Instruments (TI) announced on the 6th that it held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new 300mm semiconductor wafer manufacturing plant (fab) in Lehi, Utah, USA.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the new fab, LFAB2, was attended by TI President and CEO Haviv Ilan, Utah Governor Spencer Cox and other community leaders. LFAB2 will be integrated with LFAB, the company’s existing 300mm wafer fab located in Lehi, Utah. Once completed, TI's two Utah fabs will be capable of producing tens of millions of analog and embedded processing chips per day.

“Today, TI takes an important step forward in further expanding our manufacturing capabilities here in Utah,” said Ilan. “This new fab is part of TI’s long-term 300mm manufacturing roadmap to support customer demand and build our own manufacturing capabilities.”

He also said, “TI hopes to contribute to more affordable electronics through semiconductors,” and “As a growing member of the Utah community, we are proud to manufacture analog and embedded processing semiconductors that are essential to most electronic systems today.”

TI announced plans in February to invest $11 billion in Utah, the largest economic investment in Utah history. Construction of LFAB2 is expected to create approximately 800 TI employees and thousands of indirect jobs, with first production expected as early as 2026.

LFAB2 will complement TI's existing 300mm wafer fabs, including LFAB1 in Lehi, Utah; DMOS6 in Dallas; and RFAB1 and RFAB2 in Richardson, Texas. Additionally, TI is building four new 300mm wafer fabs (SM1, SM2, SM3, and SM4) in Sherman, Texas, with the first fab expected to begin production as early as 2025.

TI's investment in expanding its production will likely be supported by the support of the CHIPS and Science Act, which has helped TI secure a steady supply of analog and embedded products.

“TI’s expansion of its manufacturing capacity in Utah will help drive Utah’s transformation by creating hundreds of jobs manufacturing critical technologies,” said Utah Governor Spencer Cox. “I am proud that Utahns will be a driving force for innovation in the semiconductors that are fundamental to our economy and national security.”

Meanwhile, as part of its commitment to education, TI will invest $9 million in the Alpine School District to develop Utah’s first science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning community for all students. The program will deepen the curriculum for the district’s 85,000 students with STEM concepts while providing STEM-focused professional development opportunities for teachers and administrators. This partnership with TI is expected to prepare students for careers in IT technology based on key competencies in the science and engineering field.

TI also continues to pursue responsible and sustainable manufacturing processes. LFAB2 aims to be powered and operated by 100 percent renewable electricity. LFAB2’s advanced 300mm equipment and processes are expected to reduce waste, water and energy consumption, and recycle nearly twice as much water as TI’s existing fab in Lehigh.