GlobalWafers Co (環球晶圓), the world’s third-largest supplier of silicon wafers, on Thursday said that a planned 12-inch silicon wafer fab in Texas is to break ground in November as scheduled, following the passage of the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) and Science Act.
GlobalWafers confirmed that the US$5 billion investment in Sherman City — which the firm said in late June would be contingent on the passing of the CHIPS Act — is progressing as planned after US President Joe Biden signed the act into law last week.
The act authorizes the provision of US$52 billion in subsidies to ramp up semiconductor production in the US and more than US$100 billion over five years for research and development.
Photo: American Institute in Taiwan Facebook page
GlobalWafers had said it would likely adjust its investment plans for Sherman if the US Congress failed to approve the CHIPS Act before its recess this month.
The confirmation came on the same day that the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) posted on Facebook that AIT Director Sandra Oudkirk had met with GlobalWafers chairperson and CEO Doris Hsu (徐秀蘭) a day earlier to discuss the Taiwanese firm’s “exciting” Texas investment plan and strategies to strengthen the global semiconductor supply chain.
“We recognize the crucial role Taiwan plays in global supply chains, especially in critical technologies like semiconductors, and we will continue to work together to ensure these supply chains remain safe and secure,” the AIT said in the post.
GlobalWafers said Oudkirk and her team visited the company to meet with Hsu.
The firm is to invest an initial NT$55 billion (US$1.83 billion) in Sherman, with production scheduled to start in 2025, GlobalWafers said.
When the investment reaches US$5 billion, the maximum monthly production capacity is expected to hit 1.2 million units, it said.
In addition to the NT$55 billion investment in the first phase of the Sherman plant, GlobalWafers would pour NT$45 billion into global expansion, it said.
GlobalWafers operates 16 sites in 10 countries around the world: Taiwan, China, Denmark, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Poland, Singapore, South Korea and the US.
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