Intersil donates wafer fab facility to university

The donation consists of 9336m² of office space, manufacturing and cleanroom facilities, plus a five acre property. In addition, Intersil says it will provide utilities and assist with operating expenses during the first three years of UCF's ownership. According to Intersil, the entire donation is valued at approximately $13 million. Dave Bell, Intersil's ceo, said: "It is our hope that the University of Central Florida will use this facility as a teaching and research centre, as well as a high tech business incubator for Palm Bay and the surrounding communities." UCF says it intends to use the site to expand its presence in as a centre for innovation and education. The wafer fabrication facility was built by Harris Semiconductor in 1977 and has served as part of Intersil's semiconductor wafer fabrication operations until last year, when operations were consolidated into a single facility. Known as 'Fab 54', the facility has been used to make integrated circuits for major government, defence and aerospace programs. The facility was also used to make analogue and mixed-signal products for consumer electronics such as wireless and telecommunications equipment.