LA Semiconductor puts Idaho wafer fab up for sale
US-based LA Semiconductor has launched the sale process for its wafer fabrication facility in Pocatello, Idaho, engaging Macquarie Group to oversee the transaction.
The fab, situated on a 31-acre site, includes more than 57,000 square feet of cleanroom space and has capacity for expansion. It currently produces technologies ranging from 0.18µm to 1.5µm digital, analog, and mixed-signal BCD, CMOS, bipolar, MEMS, and advanced discrete technologies, with photolithography capabilities to go to 0.13µm. The facility also houses a prototype assembly lab and 7,000 square feet of probe and test cleanroom space.
Originally acquired from onsemi in 2022, the Pocatello fab has since undergone process improvements and the development of proprietary IP, according to LA Semiconductor. Co-General Manager Tony Little said the site is now at “its most stable and efficient operational level” since the takeover.
The company noted that buyers are increasingly seeking brownfield fabs that can be brought online faster than greenfield projects. Co-General Manager Pat Sedlmayer added that the decision to sell is in line with LA Semiconductor’s strategy to streamline operations and focus on its role as an ITAR-registered, onshore foundry.
Despite the planned sale, LA Semiconductor said it will continue operations, supplying custom semiconductor solutions for sectors including automotive, defence, aerospace, medical, industrial, and commercial.
