Taipei: Taiwan-based GlobalWafers Co. is on the brink of completing its pioneering 12-inch silicon wafer plant in Texas, marking the first facility of this kind in the United States. The plant's completion is set for a ceremony on May 15, which will be attended by Taiwan's Economic Affairs Minister Kuo Jyh-huei, signifying a significant investment milestone for Taiwanese companies in the U.S. market.
According to Focus Taiwan, GlobalWafers, the world's third-largest supplier of silicon wafers, announced that this plant will enable the U.S. to establish itself as an advanced silicon wafer production hub for the first time in over twenty years. The plant is poised to manufacture high-volume advanced 12-inch silicon wafers, addressing the shortage of critical semiconductor components in the American supply chain.
The silicon wafers produced at this new Texas facility are crucial for pure-play wafer foundries and integrated device manufacturers, which use them to produce leading-edge and mature silicon nodes, as well as memory chips. GlobalWafers has indicated that the plant will start contributing to its sales in the second half of the year with 12-inch silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers, which will cater to the defense and aerospace industries.
The establishment of the GlobalWafers plant follows funding of up to US$406 million awarded to its subsidiaries, GlobalWafers America, LLC (GWA) and MEMC LLC (MEMC), under the U.S. CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. This act aims to revitalize the domestic semiconductor industry and enhance U.S. competitiveness in technology and science. GlobalWafers invested US$5 billion in constructing the plant and a research and development center in Sherman, Texas.
Texas, the largest state in the U.S. by area and the second most populous, recorded bilateral trade with Taiwan totaling US$21.3 billion in 2023, making Taiwan the fifth largest Asian buyer of Texas goods. In 2024, GlobalWafers reported consolidated sales of NT$62.6 billion (US$2.07 billion), marking an 11.4 percent decrease from the previous year, yet still the third highest in the company's history.