Intel opens Fab 9 in New Mexico
Opening marks a milestone for high-volume manufacturing of 3D advanced packaging technologies.
Intel recently celebrated the opening of Fab 9, its cutting-edge factory in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. The milestone is part of Intel's previously announced $3.5 billion investment to equip its New Mexico operations for the manufacturing of advanced semiconductor packaging technologies, including Intel’s breakthrough 3D packaging technology, Foveros, which offers flexible options for combining multiple chips that are optimized for power, performance and cost.
Keyvan Esfarjani, Intel executive vice president and chief global operations officer, commented: “Today, we celebrate the opening of Intel’s first high-volume semiconductor operations and the only U.S. factory producing the world’s most advanced packaging solutions at scale. This cutting-edge technology sets Intel apart and gives our customers real advantages in performance, form factor and flexibility in design applications, all within a resilient supply chain. Congratulations to the New Mexico team, the entire Intel family, our suppliers, and contractor partners who collaborate and relentlessly push the boundaries of packaging innovation.”
Intel’s global factory network is a competitive advantage that enables product optimization, improved economies of scale and supply chain resilience. The Fab 9 and Fab 11x facilities in Rio Rancho represent the first operational site for mass production of Intel’s 3D advanced packaging technology. It is also Intel's first co-located high-volume advanced packaging site, marking an end-to-end manufacturing process that creates a more efficient supply chain from demand to final product.
Fab 9 will help fuel the next era of Intel’s innovation in advanced packaging technologies. As the semiconductor industry moves into the heterogeneous era that uses multiple “chiplets” in a package, advanced packaging technologies, such as Foveros and EMIB (embedded multi-die interconnect bridge), offer a faster and more cost-efficient path toward achieving 1 trillion transistors on a chip and extending Moore’s Law beyond 2030.
Foveros, Intel’s 3D advanced packaging technology, is a first-of-its-kind solution that enables the building of processors with compute tiles stacked vertically, rather than side-by-side. It also allows Intel and foundry customers to mix and match compute tiles to optimize cost and power efficiency.
"This investment by Intel underscores New Mexico’s continued dedication to bring manufacturing back home to America," said Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. "Intel continues to play a key role in the state’s technology landscape and strengthen our workforce, supporting thousands of New Mexico families.”
The $3.5 billion investment in Rio Rancho has created hundreds of high-tech Intel jobs, more than 3,000 construction jobs and an additional 3,500 jobs across the state.
Intel remains committed to minimizing its environmental footprint as it expands its operations to support the growing demand for semiconductors. Fab 9 is on track to meet its goal to recycle at least 90% of construction waste, exceeding the goal most recently in November and December 2023.
Intel also purchases renewable electricity to meet 100% of its New Mexico electricity use. The company has also funded three nonprofit-led water restoration projects benefiting New Mexico watersheds that are estimated to restore more than 100 million gallons of water annually. These projects helped Intel return and restored more than 100% of its New Mexico freshwater to the community and local watersheds in 2022. It also conserved more than 500 million gallons of water at its New Mexico site, the equivalent annual water use of more than 4,500 U.S. homes.
