Micron is expanding its investment in Taiwan, with plans to exceed NT$1.1 trillion (US$33.6 billion) by the end of 2024. According to Donghui Lu, head of Micron Taiwan, the company will increase overall production capacity for HBM3E in 2025 while continuing the ramp-up of 1β process capacity. Additionally, the 1γ process, which marks the first implementation of EUV equipment, will enter mass production at the Taichung plant in 2025.
Celebrating the 30th anniversary of Micron's investment in Taiwan, Lu highlighted that the workforce has grown to 12,000 employees, a 40% increase since 2019. He emphasized that Micron Taiwan serves as a center of excellence for DRAM manufacturing. The company's Taichung Advanced Assembly and Test Taiwan facility, constructed in 2023, will initially serve as the sole production site for HBM3E packaging until the advanced packaging facility in Singapore begins mass production.
To support the 1γ process mass production, Micron has purchased two EUV machines, with the actual timeline dependent on various factors, including customer demand. The company also plans to introduce EUV equipment at its Japan facility in 2025, leveraging production experience from the Taichung plant.
In late 2024, Micron acquired two factories from panel manufacturer AUO to expand chip probing capabilities, with formal production set to begin in the first half of 2025. The company may consider additional mass production plans in the future.
Leveraging Taiwan's mature semiconductor ecosystem, Micron has integrated its production sites in Taichung, Taoyuan, and Tainan into a virtual factory concept, enabling flexible capacity adjustments based on demand and market changes.
Driven by explosive demand for AI cloud services, Micron's Compute and Networking Business Unit (CNBU) reported revenues of US$4.4 billion in the first quarter of fiscal year 2025, representing a 46% increase quarter-over-quarter and accounting for over 50% of total revenue.
The surge in server DRAM and HBM revenue has led to CNBU achieving record-breaking revenue, with HBM revenue showing consecutive doubling growth.
To support capacity expansion, Micron Taiwan plans to hire 2,000 employees in 2025. The company is nurturing local supply chains and talent through a collaboration with Feng Chia University to train professionals in non-engineering and semiconductor fields, while also attracting international talent.
Lu noted that foreign employees currently comprise about 10% of the workforce, lower than in regions like Singapore and Japan in terms of talent diversity. Having begun active overseas recruitment in 2024, Micron has hired several hundred international talents from countries including India, Vietnam, and Indonesia. The company made its first recruitment visit to South Korea in December 2024 to hire recent graduates for positions in Taiwan.
As part of its American corporate culture, Micron has proven highly attractive to South Korean talent. The company has created more than 100 job openings across front-end and back-end areas, focusing on recent graduates rather than industry professionals.