Intel to invest $8b in US chip plants
Intel Corp. announced plans on Tuesday to invest up to eight billion dollars in its US manufacturing facilities to produce next-generation computer chips.
Intel, the world's largest microprocessor maker, said the investment over the next several years will fund deployment of its 22-nanometer (nm) chip manufacturing process across several existing US factories.
It will also fund construction of a new fabrication plant, known as a "fab," in the northwestern state of Oregon, Intel said in a statement.
Intel is to begin production of its first 22nm microprocessors, codenamed "Ivy Bridge," in late 2011.
Intel said the projects will support 6,000 to 8,000 construction jobs and result in the creation of 800 to 1,000 new permanent high-tech jobs.
"The most immediate impact of our multi-billion-dollar investment will be the thousands of jobs associated with building a new fab and upgrading four others, and the high-wage, high-tech manufacturing jobs that follow," Intel president and chief executive Paul Otellini said.
Intel said the new fab in Oregon is scheduled to begin research and development in 2013.
It said two existing factories in Arizona and two existing facilities in Oregon would be upgraded.
With one million personal computers shipping per day, Intel said the upgrades will create the manufacturing capacity to allow for continued growth of the PC market and to address growing markets such as mobile computing.
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