Micron pledges $150 billion investment in manufacturing

Memory and storage are a growing portion of the global semiconductor industry. And as Micron points out in a press release this portion represent approximately 30% of the semiconductor market today. Secular growth drivers like 5G and AI will expand usage of memory and storage across the data center and the intelligent edge, and in areas like automotive and a diversity of user devices. In order to capitalise on the possibilities and opportunities within this space, Micron intends to invest more than USD 150 billion globally over the next decade. The investment will see a ramp up in both memory manufacturing and R&D, and also a potential U.S. fab expansion. “Micron’s leadership in both DRAM and NAND technologies and the strength of our roadmap enable us to invest more than $150 billion with confidence to extend our industry-leading memory innovation into the next decade, and deliver differentiated products to our customers. We look forward to working with governments around the world, including in the U.S. where CHIPS funding and the FABS Act would open the door to new industry investments, as we consider sites to support future expansion,” says Micron President and Chief Executive Officer Sanjay Mehrotra in the press release. It's no secret that memory manufacturing – at competitive cost – requires large-scale fabs and usually thousands employees. And as Micron mentions, costs for memory manufacturing in the US run 35-45% higher than in lower-cost markets with established semiconductor ecosystems. This means that funding to support new semiconductor manufacturing capacity, as well as a refundable investment tax credit, will be critical for a potential expansion of US manufacturing as part of Micron's investment. “Leading-edge memory manufacturing at scale requires production of advanced semiconductor technology that is pushing the laws of physics, and our markets demand cost-competitive operations. Sustained government support is essential for Micron to ensure a resilient supply chain and reinforce technology leadership for the long term,” explains Executive Vice President of Global Operations Manish Bhatia in the press release.