A global shortage of computer chips is disrupting the production of goods ranging from appliances to automobiles. Fully catching up with demand may take a year or more, but the semiconductor industry is already responding by expanding its manufacturing capacity. As part of this effort, the Phoenix metropolitan area is an emerging locus for new fabrication plants, or “fabs.”
Intel recently announced the construction of two additional fabs at its campus in the city of Chandler, Arizona, adding 3,000 new jobs when they open in 2024. Simultaneously, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company has started construction on a north Phoenix fab that will create up to 1,900 new jobs when it opens the same year as Intel’s new facilities. In the meantime, Samsung Electronics is still deciding whether to open a fab employing 1,800 people at one of two potential sites around Phoenix.