Arizona: Home of America’s Semiconductor Resurgence

PHOENIX, AZ (July 9, 2024) – As SEMICON West 2024 kicks off, Arizona stands in the national spotlight as the epicenter of America’s semiconductor resurgence.

Arizona leads the nation in semiconductor investment, supplier expansions and jobs. Since 2020, Arizona has won more than 40 semiconductor expansions, representing over $102 billion in capital investment and over 15,700 direct industry jobs. These projects span the entire ecosystem, including manufacturing, advanced packaging, research and development, equipment, supply chain, and workforce development.

Watch Arizona’s semiconductor rise

Arizona rose to the No. 1 ranking in Business Facilities Magazine state semiconductor rankings, receiving praise for its “(i)nnovations, workforce development, and announced investments” in the industry. With a growing focus on workforce development, Harvard Business Review recently highlighted Arizona’s pioneering talent training programs.

In recognition of the state’s leadership, SEMICON West, North America’s premier microelectronics exhibition and conference, will relocate to Phoenix on a rotating basis following 50 consecutive years in San Francisco. Arizona will host the conference starting in October 2025 and again in 2027 and 2029, with all three appearances at the Phoenix Convention Center.

Arizona has attracted investments from across the semiconductor ecosystem, representing areas like R&D and equipment (Applied Materials, ASM, Pentagon Technologies, EMD Electronics), materials suppliers (Edwards Vacuum, Sunlit Chemical, LCY Chemical, Chang Chun, NRS Logistics, Fujifilm Electronic Materials, and more), manufacturing operations (Intel, TSMC), packaging and testing (Amkor) and more.

CHIPS Act in Arizona

Arizona made global headlines earlier this year as two semiconductor companies in Arizona were announced as leading recipients of the much-anticipated CHIPS Act funding.

In March, Intel and the U.S. Department of Commerce announced up to $8.5 billion in direct CHIPS Act funding, supporting Intel’s $34.5 billion investment in Arizona to date, and an additional 3,000 new jobs.

Just a few weeks later, TSMC and the U.S. Department of Commerce announced up to $6.6 billion in direct CHIPS Act funding. In addition, TSMC announced plans to build a third semiconductor fab at TSMC Arizona, bringing TSMC’s total investment in Arizona to over $65 billion and creating more than 6,000 total jobs.

Advancing semiconductor innovation

In addition to supporting the growth of the state’s semiconductor supply chain, Arizona is committed to enhancing workforce development to maximize the support of R&D opportunities under the CHIPS Act. The ACA has invested $100 million in Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, and the University of Arizona to strengthen semiconductor infrastructure and workforce development, including:

• $47.5 million to ASU, enabling the first-of-its-kind Applied Materials/ASU Materials to Fab (MTF) Laboratory at ASU’s MacroTechnology Works facility and supporting the development of advanced packaging and GaN capabilities.
• $35.5 million to the University of Arizona, enabling a major expansion of the university’s Micro/Nano Fabrication Center and advancing R&D and industry partnerships. The partnership includes a collaboration with Pima Community College and Central Arizona College to advance training opportunities.
• $13 million to Northern Arizona University to launch the Microelectronics Metrology certificate program, training center, and research laboratory; and
• $4 million to establish Registered Apprenticeship Programs for semiconductor technicians

Growing the semiconductor talent pipeline

Last year, Governor Hobbs announced a Future48 Workforce Accelerator in partnership with Maricopa Community Colleges focused on meeting the needs of Arizona’s rapidly growing semiconductor industry. The Future48 Workforce Accelerators represent innovative collaborations with Arizona’s community colleges to provide customized, industry-led training in Arizona’s fast-growing advanced manufacturing sectors. Training at the state-of-the-art facility in Maricopa County will take place in close collaboration with semiconductor industry partners, establishing first-of-their-kind training pathways to help more Arizonans enter the microelectronics industry.

Arizona has earned a reputation for developing innovative workforce development solutions to meet the needs of industry, including the nationally-recognized Semiconductor Technician Quick Start Program. Since launching in 2022, the 10-day, 40-hour boot camp taught by industry professionals has trained and certified over 900 students for careers in the semiconductor industry.

Learn more about Arizona’s semiconductor advantages HERE.

Media Contact
Alyssa Tufts, Arizona Commerce Authority, [email protected]

About the Arizona Commerce Authority
The Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) is the state's leading economic development organization with a streamlined mission to grow and strengthen Arizona's economy. The ACA uses a three-pronged approach to advance the overall economy: attract, expand, create - attract out-of-state companies to establish operations in Arizona; work with existing companies to expand their business in Arizona and beyond; and help entrepreneurs create new Arizona businesses in targeted industries. For more information, visit azcommerce.com and follow the ACA on Twitter @azcommerce.