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TAP TIMES -18- SEPTEMBER 2022

Intel CEO Patrick Gelsinger, center, talks with Sen. Ben Ray Lu- Architect’s rendering of the proposed Intel megasite in Licking
jan (D-NM) at the Rose Garden signing. Intel’s Keyvan Esfarjani county Ohio. (Intel)
(left) and Al Thompson are also in the photo. (Intel)
C makers, such as Intel, to bolster chip pro-
CHIPS Act (from 17) duction in the U.S. with plant and capacity
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expansion, such as the Intel Ohio mega-
Immediately after the signing, Micron Tech- site.
nology, Boise, Idaho said it will invest $40
billion through the end of the decade to No short-term relief
build additional memory fabs in the U.S. Observers point out that the Act will of-
(Related story 17).
fer little, if any, relief for the current chip
Snapping up fabs outside U.S. shortage, and say it will be several years
Over the past several years, Micron, now before the new capacity impacts the in-
third overall in memory sales after leader dustry.
Samsung and SK hynix, has been snapping
up competitors outside the U.S. It recently, In addition to supporting chip manufac-
however, sold its Lehi, Utah fab to Texas In- turing, R&D, workforce development and
struments, which will use it to make analog advanced wireless technologies, H.R. 4346
parts. gives a 25% investment tax credit.

Shortly after the bill’s signing, GlobalFound- This credit applies to chip manufacturing,
ries and Qualcom announced that the GF and includes makers of semiconductor
customer has signed a multi-year agree- manufacturing equipment. The bill also
ment worth $4.2 billion for chip manufac- authorizes some $19.4 million in emergen-
turing. With that agreement, GF says it will cy supplemental funding to address secu-
expand its fab plant in Malta, N.Y. to meet rity concerns in the Supreme Court.
Qualcom’s projected chip needs.
Cutouts for the $52 billion include $39 bil-

About the Act lion in manufacturing incentives. Some $2
Both houses of Congress signed the bill billion is destined for legacy chips that au-
authorizing the act on a bi-partisan basis, tomakers and military chip makers need.
with unusual speed.
Money from the $280 billion is also des-
Of the $256 billion, some $50 billion will be tined for the National Science Foundation
directed to the computer chip sector. The and the National Institue of Standards and
balance is to incentivize semiconductor Technology and the Commerce Dept.
—R.I.