Racing to AI Memory! Micron Increases Investment to $25 Billion, Accelerating the Formation of the Largest Wafer Base in U.S. History

Micron (MU-US) announced on Thursday (9th) that, in response to the continuous rise in demand for memory in the artificial intelligence (AI) era, it will increase its investment plan in the U.S. again, promising to invest over $2.5 billion in the U.S. by 2035. This is higher than the $2 billion plan announced in June last year and significantly larger than the initial plan, further responding to U.S. President Trump's policy of bringing semiconductor manufacturing back to the U.S.

Micron stated that the additional investment will help achieve the long-term goal of producing 40% of DRAM capacity in the U.S. in the future, while creating more high-paying direct and indirect employment opportunities. This reflects the company's confidence in its technological leadership and the demand for memory driven by AI.

In addition to expanding semiconductor wafer fab investments, Micron will also invest $3 billion to strengthen the U.S. semiconductor supply chain. Of this amount, $500 million will support the technological upgrade of GlobalWafers' (6488-TW) 300mm silicon wafer manufacturing plant in Sherman, Texas. The two parties also signed a 10-year supply agreement simultaneously to ensure that Micron secures sufficient silicon wafer production capacity to support long-term manufacturing layout.

The news boosted Micron's pre-market stock price, which surged over 6% at one point.

Micron also announced on the same day that the first concrete pouring of the new wafer fab in Clay, New York, has been completed ahead of schedule by more than one quarter, symbolizing that the construction plan has officially moved from the land preparation stage to the main structure construction. The site is expected to become the largest semiconductor manufacturing base in U.S. history and is the core of Micron's investment plan in the U.S.

According to the plan, Micron's New York plant will build up to 4 wafer fabs, expected to create about 50,000 jobs for New York State, including 9,000 direct positions at Micron, and drive the development of construction, supply chain, and local industries. If other investment cases such as Idaho and Virginia are included, Micron estimates that the related plans across the U.S. will create more than 90,000 jobs.

Among them, the first wafer fab in Idaho is expected to start producing the first wafers in mid-2027, and the second wafer fab is scheduled to start production by the end of 2028. The Virginia plant has also started producing 1α (1-alpha) DDR4 memory earlier this year, supplying the automotive, industrial, medical, aerospace, and defense markets with long-life cycle applications.

Micron Chairman and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said that increasing the U.S. investment scale to over $2.5 billion will not only help meet the rapidly growing memory demand in the AI era but also strengthen the U.S. semiconductor supply chain and consolidate the U.S.'s leading position in the global technology industry. He also pointed out that the New York new plant project has achieved important milestones ahead of schedule, demonstrating the company's execution efficiency and determination in promoting the plan.