Texas Instruments (TI) newest 12-inch fab in Richardson, Texas, has begun initial production and will be expanded in the coming months to meet future growth in semiconductor demand for electronics. RFAB2, which is connected to RFAB1, is one of six new 12-inch wafer fabs added by TI; RFAB1 went into production in 2009, when it was the world’s first 12-inch analog wafer fab.
The new facility is said to be more than 30 percent larger than RFAB1, providing more than 630,000 square feet of total cleanroom space between the two facilities. 24 kilometers of automated overhead conveyor systems will seamlessly transfer wafers between the two facilities once completed.
Once fully operational, the Richardson facility will produce more than 100 million analog chips per day that will be used in a variety of electronics applications from renewable energy to electric vehicles.
RFAB1 is the world’s first analog semiconductor manufacturing facility to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification, which is designed to meet high levels of structural efficiency and sustainability criteria in rating systems.
RFAB2 expands TI’s existing 12-inch fab lineup. At the same time, it is also one of six new 12-inch fabs added by TI to enhance internal manufacturing capabilities, which together will enhance TI’s broad and diverse analog and embedded processing semiconductor products production. ti acquired LFAB in Utah in 2021 and is currently preparing for initial production to begin in the coming months. ti also announced last year four new plants in Sherman, Texas plants in Sherman, Texas, for a total investment of $30 billion. Construction of the first and second plants is underway, and the first plant is expected to be operational in 2025.
