Semiconductor fabrication plants are factories where integrated circuits (ICs), also known as microchips, are manufactured. They are either operated by Integrated Device Manufacturers (IDMs) that design and manufacture ICs in-house and may also manufacture designs from design-only (fabless firms), or by pure play foundries that manufacture designs from fabless companies and do not design their own ICs. Some pure play foundries like TSMC offer IC design services, and others, like Samsung, design and manufacture ICs for customers, while also designing, manufacturing and selling their own ICs.
Glossary of terms Wafer size – largest wafer diameter that a facility is capable of processing. (Semiconductor wafers are circular.) Process technology node – size of the smallest features that the facility is capable of etching onto the wafers. Production capacity – a manufacturing facility's nameplate capacity. Generally max wafers produced per month. Utilization – the number of wafers that a manufacturing plant processes in relation to its production capacity. Technology/products – Type of product that the facility is capable of producing, as not all plants can produce all products on the market.
Open plants
Operating fabs include foundries from TSMC, GlobalFoundries, Silex Microsystems, Tower Semiconductor, Advanced Micro Foundry, VTT, SilTerra and IHP Microelectronics amongst others.
Company Plant name Plant locationPlant cost (in US$ billions)Started productionWafer size (mm)Process technology node (nm)Production capacity (Wafers/Month) Technology / productsTeledyne TechnologiesTeledyne MicralyneCanada, Edmonton, Ontario1982Foundry, MEMSTeledyne TechnologiesTeledyne DALSACanada, Brompton, Quebec2002150, 200Foundry, MEMS, CCDSTMicroelectronicsFrance, Crolles2003200, 30028, 55, 65Foundry, SiGe BiCMOS, FD-SOISTMicroelectronics AG200, AG300Italy, Agrate Brianza200, 300Foundry, MEMSnLIGHTUnited States, Washington, Vancouver2001Laser diodesSafran Sensing Technologies Switzerland (formerly Colibrys)Switzerland, Yverdon-les-Bains150Foundry, MEMSPure WaferUnited States, Arizona, PrescottFoundryEM MicroelectronicSwitzerland, Laténa1975180, 110Foundry, microcontrollers, ASIC, RFID, smart cardsUMC – He JianFab 8N China,Suzhou0.750, 1.2, +0.52003, May2004000–1000, 500, 350, 250, 180, 11077,000FoundryUMCFab 6A Taiwan,Hsinchu0.35198915045031,000FoundryUMCFab 8AB Taiwan,Hsinchu1199520025067,000FoundryUMCFab 8C Taiwan,Hsinchu11998200350–11037,000FoundryUMCFab 8D Taiwan,Hsinchu1.520002009031,000FoundryUMCFab 8E Taiwan,Hsinchu0.96199820018037,000FoundryUMCFab 8F Taiwan,Hsinchu1.5200020015040,000FoundryUMCFab 8S Taiwan,Hsinchu0.82004200350–25031,000FoundryUMCFab 12A Taiwan,Tainan4.65, 4.1, 6.6, 7.32001, 2010, 2014, 201730028, 1487,000FoundryUMCFab 12i Singapore3.72004300130–4053,000FoundryUMC – United SemiconductorFab 12X China,Xiamen6.2201630055–2819,000-FoundryUMC – USJC Fab 12M (original Fujitsu installations) Japan,Mie Prefecture1974150, 200, 30090–4033,000FoundryTexas InstrumentsMiho Japan, Ibaraki,Miho200350, 25040,000Analog, DLPTexas Instruments (formerly Spansion)Aizu Japan, Fukushima,Aizuwakamatsu200AnalogTexas Instruments (formerly National Semiconductor)MFAB United States, Maine,South Portland0.9321997200350, 250, 180AnalogTexas Instruments (formerly Micron) (formerly IM Flash)LFAB United States,Utah,Lehi1.3 (+ 3–4, future)30065–4570,000Analog, mixed signal, logic