New $2 billion plant to package Apple microchips manufactured in Arizona – Arizona's Family
PEORIA, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) — A long-time Apple partner is setting up a new shop in the Valley, not far from where the tech giant is making special Apple-designed silicon microchips.
Amkor, which packages semiconductors and other related microchips, has long been used by the tech brand. Now, it has acquired 55 acres of land to build a 500,000-square-foot facility in Peoria near TSMC, where Apple silicon is being manufactured. The first phase of the plant is expected to be ready in the next two to three years. Amkor has long worked with Apple on advanced packing and was heavily involved in the design of the Arizona facility.
“Advanced packaging is a cutting-edge design and manufacturing method that places multiple chips with a variety of functions in a densely interconnected two- or three-dimensional “package,” explained the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
“Apple is deeply committed to the future of American manufacturing, and we’ll continue to expand our investment here in the United States,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer. “Apple silicon has unlocked new levels of performance for our users, enabling them to do things they could never do before, and we are thrilled that Apple silicon will soon be produced and packaged in Arizona.”
Arizona’s top politicos welcomed the news as the state eyes to become a tech leader in the southwest. Back in September, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs visited South Korea, where she met with a number of high-level tech executives, including those with LG and Samsung. During her visit, she toured Amkor’s semiconductor packaging and testing lab outside Seoul. Last year, President Joe Biden and Apple CEO Tim Cook toured the TSMC semiconductor manufacturing site in north Phoenix.
“Amkor’s $2 billion project—one of the largest microchip investments announced in Arizona since the passage of the CHIPS Act last year—will create good-paying jobs, strengthen our local economy, and help protect our national security,” Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly said following the announcement.
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