One significant phase of the expansion will be the development and upgrading of its 50-acre, 580,000-square-foot Colorado Springs campus for increased SiC manufacturing for use in automotive/E-Mobility, grid infrastructure, green energy, and aerospace and defence applications.
Working in conjunction with the Colorado Springs Chamber & Economic Development Corporation, the City of Colorado Springs and El Paso County, Microchip also announced that it will also receive state and local incentives worth $47m to support the development.
Senator for Colorado Michael Bennet said, “Last year, I helped pass the CHIPS and Science Act to reinvigorate America’s semiconductor industry and bring manufacturing jobs back to America. In Colorado, we’re already seeing the benefits as companies prepare for historic investments from the law. Microchip’s planned expansion in Colorado Springs will not only strengthen our national security, but also expand opportunity with another 400 good-paying jobs.”
Commenting President and CEO of Microchip Technology Ganesh Moorthy said, “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 U.S. 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.”
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. 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 vice president 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.”
