GlobalWafers boosts U.S. investment to $7.5 billion

Taiwan’s GlobalWafers Co. has more than doubled its commitment to U.S. manufacturing, pledging an extra $4 billion on top of earlier plans. The move lifts its total U.S. investments to about $7.5 billion and was announced at the opening of the company’s new silicon-wafer plant in Sherman, Texas.

The Sherman facility is the first new U.S. production line for 300 mm silicon wafers in over 20 years. Construction created roughly 1,200 jobs, and the site already employs about 180 permanent staff. GlobalWafers expects headcount to rise to as many as 650 engineers, technicians, and operations specialists by the end of 2028.

Washington is helping to defray startup costs. The U.S. Department of Commerce has earmarked $406 million from the CHIPS and Science Act for the project. Policymakers argue that a stronger domestic supply of silicon wafers—the base material for virtually every advanced chip—bolsters economic resilience and national security, lessons underscored by pandemic-era shortages.

GlobalWafers’ decision follows political pressure stretching back to the previous administration for companies to curb reliance on Asian fabs. Larger peers have taken a similar path: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. recently raised its planned U.S. investment to at least $100 billion, expanding an earlier $65 billion commitment for new fabs in Arizona.

The Texas plant is not GlobalWafers’ only U.S. investment. The firm outlined separate expansion work in Missouri late last year and signaled that additional projects could follow if demand holds. Whether these investments translate into lower costs for domestic chip buyers remains uncertain, but the company now has a running start in rebuilding an upstream link of America’s semiconductor chain.