Once deemed the “least sustainable city in the world” by New York University sociologist Andrew Ross in his book Bird on Fire due to concerns over sustaining a metropolitan area in the desert, Phoenix is known today as the Silicon Desert, a semiconductor super hub helping lead the charge to bring manufacturing back to the United States. This shift raises a critical question: Is … [More]
Creating the Next Generation of Chip Experts
Chandler Unified School District has joined forces with the University of Arizona to develop a specialized semiconductor program for high school students. This initiative joins the ranks of Maricopa Community College's Semiconductor Technician Quick Start program, ASU's certificate programs, and various other technical education opportunities geared toward filling the workforce … [More]
Axus Technology Expands
Axus Technology is a global original equipment manufacturer located in Chandler, Arizona, with next-generation chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) processing and cleaning tools. It plans to expand now that it has secured $12.5 million in funding from IntrinSiC Investment LLC. With solutions that range from entry-level tools to high-volume manufacturing systems, the new … [More]
Unlocking the Potential: Arizona’s Journey to Semiconductor Innovation Hub
Pioneering the Silicon Desert
In the heart of the scorching Sonoran Desert, a new frontier of innovation is emerging — one that promises to redefine Arizona's economic landscape and propel it into the global spotlight as a semiconductor powerhouse. SEMI, an organization that advances the global semiconductor supply chain, held a SEMI Breakfast Forum in May with the theme "Is Silicon Desert the New … [More]
Balancing Chips and Cacti
As Phoenix embraces its role as a surging hub for semiconductor manufacturing, the city faces the dual challenge of supporting this high-tech industrial boom while preserving its unique desert landscape. This dynamic poses a significant question: How can Phoenix accommodate rapid industrial expansion without sacrificing its environmental heritage? In the heart of the Sonoran … [More]
Integrating Futures
Strategic mergers and acquisitions often serve as milestones that reshape corporate market trajectories and define future capabilities. A recent example of such strategic foresight is the acquisition of Phoenix-based CollabraTech Solutions by Exyte, a leading company in the design, engineering and delivery of high-tech facilities. Founded in 2013, CollabraTech Solutions … [More]
IMAPS Device Packaging Conference Celebrates 20 Years of Success
Conference’s success underscores the industry’s robust growth
The International Microelectronics Assembly and Packaging Society’s (IMAPS) recent Device Packaging Conference 2024 recently marked a significant milestone, not only celebrating its 20th anniversary this year with a record-breaking turnout but also upping the ante on Arizona’s booming semiconductor industry. Held in Fountain Hills, Arizona, the event saw a significant increase … [More]
Enhancing Collaboration through Cultural Training
Phoenix has long been a hub for semiconductor manufacturing, a legacy that dates back to 1949, but throughout the years the costs of maintaining cutting-edge facilities soared and some companies opted for a "fab-lite" approach. This strategy involved continuing some local production while outsourcing more advanced manufacturing to Asian fabs like Taiwan Semiconductor … [More]
Chips of the Future: New Frontier in Advanced Packaging
As the United States strives to regain its status as a global leader in semiconductor manufacturing and research, the spotlight is now on the critical field of advanced packaging. This innovative technology involves encasing silicon chips in a protective layer to enhance their functionality and longevity. It facilitates denser chip configurations in more compact spaces and thus … [More]
Supporting Disrupted ASIC Programs amidst Foundry Consolidations
Local company brings leading-edge technology to the forefront for the A&D market
The microelectronics supply chain has seen its share of challenges in recent years, while efforts to ensure its stability in the U.S. are unprecedented. One way that companies ensure semiconductor supply continuity is by developing their own Application Specific Integrated Circuits, or ASICs. An ASIC contains multiple components designed to work together to perform a specific … [More]
$8.5 Billion Boost: Arizona’s Role in the Semiconductor Surge
In a significant move aimed at revitalizing America's technological prowess and manufacturing might, the Biden-Harris Administration, alongside Intel Corporation, has unveiled a preliminary agreement that could redefine the landscape of semiconductor manufacturing in the United States. This pivotal development promises to inject up to $8.5 billion in direct funding under the … [More]
Phoenix First in Nation to Sponsor Semiconductor Apprenticeships
Phoenix recently became a focal point in the semiconductor industry's future, hosting an event by the National Institute for Innovation and Technology alongside the Semiconductor Industry Association. This gathering underscored Arizona's vital role in the industry and celebrated the launch of the state's first semiconductor technician registered apprenticeship program. … [More]
Powering the Future from Chandler, Arizona
Saras makes strides in packaging for power efficiency and performance
Amidst the technological strides being made in Arizona, the state continues to develop its extensive network of highly specialized companies that help create the chips that the world literally runs on. According to the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, about 20 semiconductor companies have officially announced they will begin operations in Arizona, and about 20 more are in the … [More]
Where Sustainability Meets Technology
At the heart of every technological advancement, semiconductors are silently powering the future. But as we enter an era where sustainability is not just a choice but a necessity, the semiconductor industry is finding itself at a crossroads. The recent GreenBiz 24 conference in Phoenix not only highlighted the latest sustainable practices but also the challenges and triumphs of … [More]
Water Wise: Phoenix’s Step into Sustainable Cooling
In the heart of the Sonoran Desert, water is as precious as gold — or, in our case, silicon. Especially as Phoenix is fast becoming a semiconductor stronghold. Semiconductors, the tiny but mighty engines driving much of our technological advances, generate heat and require effective cooling. That’s where water comes in. Addressing water recycling challenges has long been a … [More]
ASM International: Investing to Elevate Arizona’s Semiconductor Landscape
Expansion of one of the pioneering semiconductor equipment companies in Arizona
Arizona’s booming semiconductor industry shows no signs of slowing down. ASM International, a Dutch semiconductor equipment company with a 40-year presence in Phoenix, has revealed plans to invest more than $320 million in a new Scottsdale campus. Slated for completion by 2026, the move to the new 20-acre site will create more than 500 jobs and allow the company to better serve … [More]
Global Partnerships Fuel Arizona’s Semiconductor Success
Arizona is no stranger to fostering international relations. Still, within the last year, its active recruitment of foreign partnerships is just one reason Arizona is now number two in semiconductor supercenters in the United States. An example of this proactive relationship building can be seen in the Arizona House Committee’s International Trade visit to Canada, Romania … [More]
The Chipmaker’s Visa: New Solution to Labor Shortage
Industry leaders and the Economic Innovation Group have put forward the Chipmaker’s Visa initiative, aimed at addressing the limitations of the current U.S. H-1B Visa system in meeting the semiconductor sector’s specific requirements. The Chipmaker’s Visa is designed to streamline the process of bringing skilled labor from overseas to supplement the U.S. workforce in this … [More]
