Intel Corp. (Nasdaq: INTC) named a new head of a cornerstone business unit in CEO Pat Gelsinger’s revitalization plan for the company. The chipmaker on Tuesday tapped Stuart Pann as senior vice president and general manager for Intel Foundry Services, reporting to Gelsinger.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. is moving forward with its plans to invest up to $3.5 billion for its Phoenix factory, according to a new Reuters report. The chip giant, which makes a large portion of the world’s semiconductor chips, said on Tuesday that its board had approved a plan to increase the capital investment for its Arizona factory by up to $3.5 billion. The approval comes two months after TSMC confirmed its plans to triple its investment in Arizona to $40 billion, a significant increase from its initial $12 billion investment. The potential $3.5 billion is part of the overall $40 billion investment.
Two Arizona State University faculty members were selected to lead a regional proposal that will advance microelectronics research, development, education, and training in the Southwest. ASU President Michael Crow appointed Sally Morton, executive vice president of ASU’s Knowledge Enterprise, and Kyle Squires, dean of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, to lead a team of faculty, staff and strategic partners to establish the Microelectronics Commons, a national network funded by the CHIPs and Science Act of 2022.
Any homeowner will say it’s great to get some help when the time comes to move in and start living the American dream. But when the president, governor and mayor along with members of Congress and industry titans show up to help turn on the lights in your new digs, what do you do? Celebrate, of course.
On the heels of media reports that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. was considering expanding in Arizona, the company confirmed Tuesday that it will build a second fab in north Phoenix to produce 3-nanometer chips by 2026 and significantly increase its investment in the state. To mark a significant milestone in Phoenix, TSMC held a tool-in ceremony on Tuesday for the arrival of its first batch of production equipment at the Arizona fab, where President Joe Biden, TSMC’s founder Morris Chang, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Micron Technology CEO Sanjay Mehrotra and numerous industry and elected officials were in attendance.
Arizona State University will be working with higher education institutions in Mexico, along with microelectronics industry partners, to boost the production of semiconductors in North America and address a crucial national security issue. Recently, ASU President Michael Crow signed a memorandum of understanding with Esteban Moctezuma Barragán, the Mexican ambassador to the U.S., to seal the partnership.
President Joe Biden will visit Phoenix on Dec. 6 to attend a ceremony at the under-construction Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Inc. facility. The tool-in ceremony marks the arrival of the first batch of production equipment at the fab. The White House announced Wednesday morning that Biden would be in attendance and “discuss how his economic plan is leading to a manufacturing boom, rebuilding supply chains, and creating good-paying jobs in Arizona and across the country.”
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. is vying for federal funds by highlighting its work globally and its current and future operations at its planned Phoenix factory. In response to the U.S. Department of Commerce request for information on the implementation of the CHIPS incentives program, TSMC said that the CHIPS Program Office should prioritize grant applicants that have a “long successful track record in advanced logic fabrication, R&D and existing sizable headcount that offers decisive proof points that the incentives provided will lead to a successful investment result.”
Apple Inc. plans to buy chips from an Arizona semiconductor plant that expects to begin operations in 2024, Bloomberg News reported. Tim Cook, CEO of the tech giant, seemed to refer to the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. fab that’s under construction in north Phoenix when he made the remarks during internal meetings in Germany, Bloomberg reported.
A Wall Street Journal report said Wednesday that chip giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. could be planning a multibillion-dollar expansion in Phoenix in addition to what’s it’s already planning to build. TSMC plans to announce in the coming months that it will build a “cutting-edge” semiconductor factory, or fab, north of Phoenix, according to people who spoke with the Wall Street Journal and are familiar with the expansion plans.