Project Profile
Micron Boise
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$1.1
23
100
This week we will review a bite-sized update on the new Micron facility in Boise, Idaho. Micron has its roots in Boise, having been founded in 1978 by Ward and Joe Parkinson, Denis Wilson, and Doug Pitman. The initial focus for Micron was the development of a competitive Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) chip, which to that point was primarily provided by non-US companies. The company introduced its first product in 1981 and established Micron’s as a leading manufacturer in the DRAM supply chain.
Micron expanded rapidly through their history via numerous acquisitions and partnership relationships within the industry, making them the powerhouse that they are today. In total, Micron has eleven manufacturing sites globally and has announced a number of aggressive expansion projects in recent months. With the Boise plant, Micron has again achieved a first, as they claim this is the first new memory manufacturing fabrication plant to be built in the US in 20 years.
In typical dynamic fashion, Micron has started construction on the proposed 6.5 million-square-foot site with approximately 600,000 square feet of cleanroom in Boise. First announced in September 2022, the commencement of construction on October 5 means just 13 months have passed from announcement to construction start.
The new building is to be co-located next to the existing research and development facility, allowing for rapid integration of production from the R&D facility. The project is expected to come online in phases, with the first phase starting production in 2025 and production ramping up over the remainder of the decade. The total investment over this time is targeted at approximately $15 billion.
The plans indicate that this will be a multi-level fabrication building, allowing for a significant build on a smaller footprint. This is a common feature of semiconductor facility builds in congested areas and has been utilized by several other semiconductor manufacturers to conserve space and reduce the need for extensive facilities.
While the new build is in progress, there are also plans to expand the existing facility to accommodate an Automated Manual Handling System (AMHS) building to transfer the wafers between the existing and new facilities. The construction plans also include new central utility buildings (CUB), water treatment facilities, electrical and gas facilities, onsite warehousing and office buildings.
For the Semiconductor construction industry this indicates up to seven years of ongoing construction. The project ultimately plans to add 2,000 full-time positions to maintain the facility but will create up to 17,000 jobs in the Idaho economy over the lifetime of the project. Based on a facility of this size, we can expect somewhere in the region of 5,000 ongoing construction jobs for the lifetime of the project.
Project status: As the initial date for the start of construction was planned for December 2023, this project can be assigned an ‘Ahead’ status. Even though the construction start was pulled in to be aligned with the 45th anniversary of Micron in Boise, we will be optimistic about this rating. We will continue to track and revisit the status on a regular basis.
Sources: Micron Press release: Boise Development News, EEN news. Construction Journal