Micron to invest $3.6B for Japanese production of DRAM chips

Chipmaker Micron Technology plans to invest as much as 500 billion yen ($3.6 billion) to bring extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) to Japan, becoming the first company to bring the production method to Japan.

Micron plans to use machines powered by extreme ultraviolet lithography (EVU) for state-of-the-art semiconductor device fabrication to manufacture next-generation DRAM (DRAM), also known as 1-gamma chips, produced at its Hiroshima factory.

DRAM chips are widely used in digital electronics that require low-cost and large-capacity memory.

“We are proud to be the first company in Japan to use EUV to develop and manufacture 1-gamma at our Hiroshima facility,” said Micron President and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said in a statement“Our plans reflect our continued commitment to Japan, our strong relationship with the Japanese government, and the exceptional talent of Micron’s Hiroshima team.”

Boost domestic chip manufacturing

Due to the ongoing global chip shortage and escalating China-US chip warChip exports have been widely restricted, indirectly causing some other countries to fall into a crossfire, and many governments, including Japan, are currently working hard to increase their own chip manufacturing capabilities.

The Japanese government has pledged substantial financial support for projects to develop and manufacture next-generation chips in the country, Including deal with Rapidus Manufacture 2nm chips in Japan by 2025. The project has received 70 billion yen ($532 million) from the Japanese government, as well as investments from Toyota, Sony and telecom giant NTT.