Haviv Ilan, Texas Instruments president and CEO (fourth from left), and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (fifth from left) join company and community
leaders to break ground on TI’s second 300mm semiconductor wafer fabrication plant in Lehi.
800 NEW JOBS, $11 BILLION INVESTMENT, TENS OF MILLIONS OF CHIPS PER DAY
Global semiconductor company Texas Instruments (TI) has broken ground on its new mammoth semiconductor wafer fabrication plant — dubbed a “fab” by the firm — in Lehi. Officially named LFAB2, the facility will manufacture the company’s 300-millimeter silicon wafers that are used in the production of microelectronic devices, such as transistors and integrated circuits.
In February, TI announced its new $11 billion investment in Lehi, marking what is believed to be the largest industrial economic investment in state history.
The new plant will connect with TI’s existing 300mm wafer fab in Lehi. Once complete, TI’s two Utah fabs will manufacture tens of millions of analog and embedded processing chips every day.
At the recent construction kickoff, Haviv Ilan, TI’s president and CEO, was joined by Gov. Spencer Cox, state and local elected officials and other community leaders.
“Today we take an important step in our company’s journey to expand our manufacturing footprint in Utah. This new fab is part of our long-term, 300-mm manufacturing roadmap to build the capacity our customers will need for decades to come,” said Ilan. “At TI, our passion is to create a better world by making electronics more affordable through semiconductors. We are proud to be a growing member of the Utah community, and to manufacture analog and embedded processing semiconductors that are vital for nearly every type of electronic system today.”
LFAB2 will create approximately 800 additional TI jobs in Lehi as well as thousands of indirect jobs in the surrounding community. TI expects the first production to begin as early as 2026.
“TI’s growing manufacturing presence in Utah will be transformative for our state, creating hundreds of good-paying jobs for Utahns to manufacture critically important technology,” said Cox. “We are proud that semiconductors — made in Utah by Utahns — will power the innovation that is foundational to our country’s economic and national security.”
Texas Instruments also announced a $9 million investment in the Alpine School District — the district that serves the northern Utah County area — to develop the state’s first science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) learning community for all students in kindergarten through high school. The multiyear program will embed STEM concepts more deeply into coursework for the district’s 85,000 students and provide STEM-oriented professional development for its teachers and administrators. The district-wide program will equip students with essential STEM skills, such as critical thinking, collaboration and creative problem-solving to succeed after graduation, TI said.
“We are excited this partnership will help our students develop essential knowledge and skills, preparing them for success in life and possible careers in the technology sector,” said Alpine School District Superintendent Shane Farnsworth. “Working together with the city of Lehi, Texas Instruments and our schools, this collaborative investment will impact students and their families for many generations to come.”
TI said in its press release when the building was announced that the company has a longstanding commitment to responsible, sustainable manufacturing. LFAB2 will be one of the company’s most environmentally efficient wafer fabs, designed to meet one of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building rating system’s highest levels of structural efficiency and sustainability: LEED Gold Version 4.
LFAB2 has a goal to be powered by 100 percent renewable electricity, TI said, and advanced 300mm equipment and processes in Lehi will further reduce waste, water and energy consumption. LFAB2 is expected to recycle water at nearly twice the rate of TI’s existing Lehi wafer plant.
In addition to the Lehi facilities, Texas Instrument has an existing 300mm wafer fab in Dallas as well as two plants in Richardson, Texas. TI is also building four new 300mm wafer fabs in Sherman, Texas, with production scheduled in 2025.
“TI’s manufacturing expansions, with anticipated support from the CHIPS and Science Act, will provide reliable supply of analog and embedded processing products,” the company release said. “These investments in manufacturing and technology illustrate the company’s commitment to long-term capacity planning.”