Texas Instruments has broken ground on its new 300-mm semiconductor wafer fabrication plant in Lehi, Utah. Particularly, TI President and Chief Executive Officer Haviv Ilan celebrated the first steps toward the construction of the new fab, the LFAB2.  

Once completed, TI’s two Utah fabs will manufacture tens of millions of analog and embedded processing chips every day at full production. Moreover, Utah Governor Spencer Cox, state and local elected officials, as well as community leaders, joined TI in the ceremony.

“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.

In addition, Ilan said, “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.”

Building stronger communities

In February, TI announced its $11 billion investment in Utah, marking the largest economic investment in state history. LFAB2 will create approximately 800 additional TI jobs as well as thousands of indirect jobs, with the first production available 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 Utah Governor Spencer 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.”

Meanwhile, as part of TI’s commitment to education, the company will invest $9 million dollars in the Alpine School District. Particularly, it aims to develop the state’s first Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) learning community for all students in kindergarten through 12^th grade.

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. Moreover, the district-wide program will equip students with essential STEM skills, such as critical thinking, collaboration and creative problem-solving to succeed after graduation.   

“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, Dr. 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.”

Building sustainably

TI has a long-standing 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% renewable electricity, and advanced 300-mm equipment and processes in Lehi will further reduce waste, water and energy consumption. In fact, LFAB2 will recycle water at nearly twice the rate of TI’s existing fab in Lehi.

Building the next era of semiconductor manufacturing

LFAB2 will complement TI’s existing 300-mm wafer fabs, which include LFAB1 (Lehi, Utah), DMOS6 (Dallas), and RFAB1 and RFAB2 (both in Richardson, Texas). In addition, TI is also building four new 300-mm wafer fabs in Sherman, Texas (SM1, SM2, SM3 and SM4), with production from the first fab as early as 2025.

TI’s manufacturing expansions, with anticipated support from the CHIPS and Science Act, will provide reliable supply of analog and embedded processing products. Furthermore, these investments in manufacturing and technology illustrate the company’s commitment to long-term capacity planning.