Micron Technology has begun manufacturing 1α (1-alpha) DRAM memory at its facility in Manassas, Virginia, as part of a major expansion programme aimed at strengthening domestic semiconductor production capacity in the US.
The company said the milestone represents the first production of what it describes as the most advanced memory technology ever manufactured in the US.
The expansion is supported by an investment of more than $2bn and forms part of Micron’s wider plan to invest approximately $200bn in US semiconductor manufacturing and research and development.
The Manassas facility manufactures memory products for long-lifecycle applications across sectors, including automotive, defence, aerospace, industrial systems, networking and medical devices.
Micron said the introduction of its 1α DRAM process technology will significantly increase domestic supply of DDR4 and LP4 memory products used in these markets.
According to the company, the expansion will quadruple DDR4 wafer output at the Virginia site.
The project includes the modernisation of cleanroom manufacturing infrastructure required to support production of the advanced DRAM node.
Micron expects qualified 1α DRAM production from the facility by the end of 2026.
The Virginia expansion complements the company’s ongoing semiconductor manufacturing developments in Idaho and New York.
“Today’s achievement is an important step in Micron’s $200bn investment plan to expand memory manufacturing and R&D in the US,” said Micron Chairman, President and CEO, Sanjay Mehrotra.
The company said the Manassas expansion supports more than 3,100 manufacturing and community jobs and is backed by federal, state and local incentives.