[Image above] A rendering showing early plans for Intel’s new manufacturing mega-site in Licking County, Ohio. Credit:Intel Corporation
Though rumor recently turned intoa less-than-ideal reality一定高居榜首的歌曲的歌手other rumor that has been floating around my business newsletters for weeks received a very satisfying confirmation this past Friday—semiconductor chip manufacturer Intel iscommitting $20 billion to build a manufacturing mega-sitein New Albany, on the outskirts of Columbus, Ohio.
对于行业之外的人，本公告的重量可能不会立即清除。所以，今天我们会近年来看一些影响半导体行业的一些大事事事以及英特尔的公告如何适合叙述。
半导体芯片：电子产品的重要组成部分
The topic of semiconductors has captured media headlines frequently over the past year due to a shortage driven by the COVID-19 pandemic. But what are semiconductors, and specifically semiconductor chips?
半导体是具有落在导体（例如许多金属）和绝缘体（例如玻璃）之间的电导率值的材料。半导体材料的实例包括硅，锗，砷化镓和周期性表上所谓的“金属体楼梯”附近的元件。
In electronics, semiconductor materials are used as the basis for semiconductor chips, i.e., a set of electronic circuits that rest on top of a small flat piece (or “chip”) of semiconductor material, usually silicon. These so-called integrated circuits are orders of magnitude smaller, faster, and less expensive than those constructed of discrete electronic components.
There are different ways for industry tocategorize types of semiconductor chips. When categorized by functionality, there are memory chips, microprocessors, commodity integrated circuits (“standard chips”), and complex systems-on-a-chip. When categorized by types of integrated circuitry, there are digital, analog, and mixed chips.
正在进行的半导体芯片短缺和家庭制造需求
When the COVID-19 pandemic started upending everyone’s lives in 2020, several factors culminated into a global semiconductor chip shortage.* In the1月/ 2月发行的ACerS Bulletin, we featured a report byBCC研究that looked at these factors, including a sudden demand for consumer electronics, disruption in the supply chain caused by the pandemic, ongoing trade wars between countries, and natural disasters and industrial accidents causing semiconductor fabrication plants to close, among other factors.
This shortage is causing severe problems for industries that rely on electronics. For example, the United States Commerce Departmentjust issued a reportthis week that found manufacturers’ median chip inventory levels have plummeted from about 40 days’ supply in 2019 to less than five days, according to a survey of 150 companies worldwide.
These tight margins are being reflected in the products available to consumers. The automotive industry is a prime example—General Motors, Honda, Nissan, and Stellantis reported2021年销售额的显着下降由于芯片短缺迫使他们闲置植物，离开经销商few vehicles to offer customers.
因此，很多讨论已经转向玻璃化制造半导体芯片，以避免未来这么严重的短缺。最近fact sheetreleased by the Biden-Harris Administration notes, “The United States used to lead the world in global semiconductor manufacturing. But in recent decades, the U.S. lost its edge—our share of global semiconductor production has fallen from 37 percent to just 12 percent over the last 30 years.”
TheCreating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors for America (CHIPS) Actis one piece of legislation that looks to bolster domestic semiconductor chip production. The act would establish a set of programs to provide incentives and encourage investment in domestic R&D and manufacturing of semiconductor chips.
While the CHIPS Act was approved in principle as part of thefiscal year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, it did not receive any funding. The Senate included $52 billion in funding for the CHIPS programs in theU.S. Innovation and Competition Act(USICA), which passed in June 2021, but the House has not yet passed its version of the bill.
*NOTE: The chip shortage is not affecting all types of semiconductor chips in the same way. Learn more about how the shortage is affecting different types of chips in this MarketWatcharticle.
英特尔的俄亥俄州的计划
在正在进行的短缺和资金审议中，英特尔的公告about building a manufacturing mega-site in New Albany is a major demonstration of the commitment that U.S. companies are making to bringing semiconductor manufacturing stateside.
英特尔的立即计划是在1,000英亩的部位上建造至少两个半导体制造厂或晶圆厂。这些工厂会占三分之一more than 3,000 acresthat the city of New Albany is annexing from Jersey Township in Licking County to Intel.
Intel will use these fabs to research, develop, and manufacture its most cutting-edge computer chips, employing at least 3,000 people. Construction will begin this year, and the plant should be operational by 2025. Intel plans to employ green building principles during construction and hopes to power the new factories with 100% renewable energy and achieve net positive water use.
In addition, Intel says it plans to spend $100 million over the next 10 years to establish the Intel Ohio Semiconductor Center for Innovation, a partnership with universities and community colleges to build semiconductor-specific curricula.
While these initial plans are ambitious, Intel chief executive Pat Gelsinger hinted that the site could eventually grow to accommodate eight chip fabs, with spending potentially reaching around $100 billion over the next decade.
It is believed that this mighty goal, though, will rely on Congress funding the programs authorized in the CHIPS Act. And it appears Intel’s announcement may have kicked Congress into high gear—just hours after Intel made its announcement, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi说房子将很快介绍其Usica版本，预计也将为芯片计划提供资金。
Learn more about the chip manufacturing process in the videos below. (The first video provides a broad overview of the process, while the second video looks at the electronic circuits placed on the chip.)
Update 01/31/2022 – On Jan. 25, 2022, the U.S. House of Representativesunveiled a legislative packagecalled the America COMPETES Act of 2022, their long-awaited full response to the Senate’s USICA. Both acts would directly appropriate $52 billion for the semiconductor production and R&D initiatives that were authorized in CHIPS.