Micron Technology, Inc. celebrated the start of 1α (1-alpha) DRAM manufacturing at its fab in Manassas, Virginia. The company said the development serves the automotive, defense and aerospace, industrial, networking and medical device sectors that depend on this kind of memory.
The more than $2 billion expansion, backed by federal, state and local incentives, will reportedly support more than 3,100 direct manufacturing and community jobs.
"Today's achievement is an important step in Micron's $200 billion investment plan to expand memory manufacturing and R&D in the U.S.," Micron Chairman, President and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said. "It reflects Micron’s enduring commitment to the customers and industries that depend on long-lifecycle memory for critical applications. We are proud to bring advanced 1α DRAM manufacturing to American soil."
The firm expects qualified 1α DRAM production from the Manassas fab by the end of calendar year 2026 and said the investment will quadruple the facility's DDR4 wafer supply. The technology will also support long-lifecycle product needs in parallel with the ramp of Micron's memory technologies in Boise, Idaho, and Clay, New York.
Micron broke ground on its New York memory manufacturing complex in January and expects initial wafer output at its first Idaho fab in mid-calendar year 2027, with ground preparation underway for its second Idaho fab. Combined, the company anticipates these developments will create an estimated 90,000 jobs.
Each project supports Micron's $325 million commitment to develop a next-generation workforce for the U.S. semiconductor industry. The investment includes semiconductor curriculum development, community college and university partnerships, registered apprenticeships and other programs aimed at expanding access to semiconductor careers.
