Intel Corporation today announced plans to invest $345 million in two of the company's existing manufacturing sites in Colorado and Massachusetts. The investments will be used to increase the capacity of the wafer fabrications facilities (fabs), Fab 17 in Hudson, Mass. and Fab 23 in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Both fabs are 200mm facilities that produce primarily chipsets communications and flash memory components for a variety of Intel platforms.
"These investments will increase the capacity of our 200mm manufacturing network to support our platform initiatives and will give us additional supply flexibility across a range of products," said Bob Baker, senior vice president, general manager, Technology and Manufacturing Group. "For Intel, manufacturing is a key competitive advantage that serves as the underpinning for our business and allows us to provide customers with leading-edge products in high volume. The decision to invest in our sites in Colorado and Massachusetts reflects the strategic importance of these facilities and our outstanding team of employees."
In Colorado Springs $190 million will be invested as part of an upgrade to a second clean room within Fab 23 that will allow Intel to complete final processing steps for microprocessors -- produced on 300mm wafers at other Intel locations -- prior to final testing and packaging. Construction on the project is set to begin immediately, which will allow processing of advanced microprocessors in the second half of 2007. The project is expected to create several hundred new jobs in Colorado Springs over the next three years.
In Hudson, Intel's $155 million investment will be used to increase overall capacity at Fab 17 by adding new manufacturing equipment and reconfiguring portions of the factory. The additional capacity will be used to manufacture a variety of logic products, including chipsets to support Intel's platform initiatives for mobile, desktop and server systems. This investment in Hudson will result in the creation more than 300 new manufacturing jobs.
Separately, the company also announced that after an extensive search for a suitable location it has signed an agreement to purchase office property in Ft. Collins, Colo. to be used as a design center to house a portion of the company's ItaniumŪ processor design team.
Related stories:
Colorado's Tech Industry Loses Some Luster
Once considered among the most promising tech hubs, Colorado has taken a big employment hit in recent years, finds a new report.
Intel CTO Says Gap between Humans, Machines will Close by 2050
Intel Corporation's chief technology officer took a fascinating look at how technology will bring man and machine much closer together by 2050.
Intel Outlines Plans for New Category of Smarter, Purpose-Built 'System on Chip' Designs
As Internet access continues to be added to all kinds of computers and devices, Intel executives outlined a plan to use its chip design expertise, factory capacity, advanced manufacturing techniques and the economics of Moore's Law to usher in a new category of highly integrated, purpose-built and Web-savvy System on Chip (SoC) designs and products. The company also unveiled its first eight such products under its Intel EP80579 Integrated Processor family for security, storage, communications, and industrial robotics.
New Intel-Based Laptops Advance All Facets of Notebook PCs
Intel Corporation unveiled its Intel Centrino 2 Processor Technology products for laptops today, powered by five new Intel Core2 Duo processors. Close to 250 innovative consumer and business notebook PC designs are on the way, including those equipped with the right combination of powerful processors, graphics and battery life to enjoy viewing stunning high definition videos and myriad other computer and Internet activities.
Researchers report finer lines for microchips: Advance could lead to next-generation computer chips, solar cells
MIT researchers have achieved a significant advance in nanoscale lithographic technology, used in the manufacture of computer chips and other electronic devices, to make finer patterns of lines over larger areas than have been possible with other methods.
Exposing the Sensitivity of Extreme Ultraviolet Photoresists
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have confirmed that the photoresists used in next-generation semiconductor manufacturing processes now under development are twice as sensitive as previously believed. This finding, announced at a workshop last month,* has attracted considerable interest because of its implications for future manufacturing. If the photoresists are twice as sensitive as previously thought, then they are close to having the sensitivity required for high volume manufacturing, but the flip side is that the extreme ultraviolet optical systems in the demonstration tools currently being used are only about half as effective as believed.
Taiwan says pioneering WiMAX points way to the future
Residents in Taipei have been able to access wireless mobile Internet services in much of the city since a programme launched by former mayor Ma Ying-jeou was completed in 2006. However, users were frequently frustrated by glitches while surfing online.
Are microbes the answer to the energy crisis?
The answer to the looming fuel crisis in the 21st century may be found by thinking small, microscopic in fact. Microscopic organisms from bacteria and cyanobacteria, to fungi to microalgae, are biological factories that are proving to efficient sources of inexpensive, environmentally friendly biofuels that can serve as alternatives to oil, according to research presented at the 108th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in Boston.