The launch of 1-gamma chip comes after the development of Micron Technology’s 1-beta, which the semiconductor manufacturer mass produces in its Hiroshima fab
Micron Technology announces plans to invest up to $3.6bn in Japan. (Credit: Micron Technology, Inc.)
Micron Technology will invest up to JPY500bn ($3.6bn) in Japan over the next few years to manufacture next generation of its DRAM memory chip, the 1-gamma (1γ) node.
With support from the Japanese government, the US-based semiconductor manufacturer aims to introduce extreme ultraviolet (EUV) technology to the country to manufacture its advanced chips.
The launch of 1-gamma chip comes after the development of Micron Technology’s 1-beta (1β), which the company mass produces in its Hiroshima fab.
Micron Technology started shipping samples of 1-beta node in November 2022 to mobile manufacturers.
Presently, the US-based company has also started shipping its 1-beta-based LPDDR5X memory made in Hiroshima to industrial, automotive and consumer customers in Asia, the US, and Europe.
Micron Technology president and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said: “Micron’s Hiroshima operations have been central to the development and production of several industry-leading technologies for memory over the past decade.
“We are proud to be the first to use EUV in Japan and to be developing and manufacturing 1-gamma at our Hiroshima fab. Our plans reflect our continued commitment to Japan, strong relationship with the Japanese government and the exceptional talent of our Micron Hiroshima team.”
According to Micron Technology, its EUV integration plans are being advanced and the company intends to ramp up EUV into production on the 1-gamma node in Taiwan and Japan starting from 2025.
The company’s integration of EUV into its next node is expected to play a significant role in enabling the node to deliver faster, more power-efficient and higher-performance memory products.
Besides, it will allow Micron Technology to further its pursuit of industry-first memory innovation.
Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) is said to have provided investment support and set long-term strategies in recent years aimed at creating a solid basis for semiconductor manufacturing, supply chain and a digital economy in the country.
METI Commerce and Information Policy Bureau Director-General Satoshi Nohara said: “We are pleased to see our collaboration with Micron take root in Hiroshima with state-of-the-art EUV to be introduced on Japanese soil.
“This will not only deepen and advance the talent and infrastructure of our semiconductor ecosystem, it will also unlock exponential growth and opportunity for our digital economy.”