Microchip Technology has announced plans to invest US$880 million over the next several years to increase its silicon carbide (SiC) and silicon (Si) production capacity at its Colorado Springs, Colo. manufacturing facility.
According to the company, one significant phase of the expansion is the development and upgrade of its 50-acre, 580,000-square-foot Colorado Springs campus for increased SiC manufacturing targeting automotive/E-Mobility, grid infrastructure, green energy, and aerospace and defense applications.
The City of Colorado Springs and El Paso County, in collaboration with the Colorado Springs Chamber & Economic Development Corporation, also announce that Microchip has been approved for state and local incentives totaling approximately US$47 million for the expansion.
"Microchip Colorado Springs has a long history of partnering with the city and state and we applaud their continued support of our efforts to advance the semiconductor industry in the US. The CHIPS and Science Act is already making a positive impact on our business through the Investment Tax Credit and we are seeking capacity expansion grants for several of our semiconductor factories, including our Colorado Springs factory. We see a bright future in the region made possible by great partnerships, state and local incentives, and a strong local talented workforce," said company president and CEO Ganesh Moorthy.
The Colorado Springs campus currently employs more than 850 people and produces products from 6-inch wafers. The manufacturing technology that Microchip is installing will run on 8-inch wafers, which will significantly increase the number of chips produced at this location. The additional 400 jobs anticipated at the facility will range from production specialists to technical roles in equipment procurement and management, process control and test engineering.
"With over two-decades of investment in silicon carbide, Microchip's portfolio is designed to provide our customers with innovative power solutions," said Rich Simoncic, senior VP of Microchip's analog businesses. "This campus is an integral part of producing our SiC technology to assure our customers with supply certainty as they transition to SiC solutions."
