News Apple to become first customer for Amkor's $2 billion Arizona chip packaging facility

[Admin]

Amkor to build $2 billion advanced chip packaging facility in the U.S. primarily targeting Apple.

Apple to become first customer for Amkor's $2 billion Arizona chip packaging facility : Read more

 

[rluker5]

Maybe Apple will still get chips from Taiwan and have them packaged in Arizona. The process nodes listed seem a little late for Apple. I don't think Apple will keep using the same nodes until 2025-6.

 

[bit_user]

It seems like we're headed into an era when most leading CPUs, SoCs, and probably even GPUs will employ some form of advanced packaging.

 

[thestryker]

Packaging is rapidly becoming as important as the fabrication nodes themselves and I think a large chunk of the reason is the cost of said nodes. Apple's current big chips have got to cost an absolute ton to manufacture and they're limited in configurations because of it. Advanced packaging should not only allow them to make SoCs for less but also use optimal nodes for each chiplet they decide to make while allowing for more configurations.

 

[HaninTH]

My concern is... I hope Amkor doesn't need a lot of fresh water, as Arizona, and the whole southwest, is in a deep drought. I suppose they think it'll be resolved in a few years with good weather, but that's what they've been saying for the least 5 and it's only getting worse.

Are all of these chips factories building in AZ because of it's sparse population density, and hence, won't have to worry about environmental hygiene issues as much?

Where is all the electrical power for these sites coming from as well, as hydro power is waning because of the drought and they killed most of the solar/molten sodium reactor power generators?

 

[thestryker]

Are all of these chips factories building in AZ because of it's sparse population density, and hence, won't have to worry about environmental hygiene issues as much?

It's not terribly seismic, there aren't really extreme weather events aside from heat, and there's very little environmental regulation at the state level.

My concern is... I hope Amkor doesn't need a lot of fresh water, as Arizona, and the whole southwest, is in a deep drought. I suppose they think it'll be resolved in a few years with good weather, but that's what they've been saying for the least 5 and it's only getting worse.

I doubt they'll need anywhere near as much as a fab would, but the Phoenix area does have regulation on their water supplies so they're generally better off than the rest of the state.

Where is all the electrical power for these sites coming from as well, as hydro power is waning because of the drought and they killed most of the solar/molten sodium reactor power generators?

• In 2022, 99% of Arizona's total electricity net generation was provided from 6 sources: natural gas (42%); nuclear power (29%); coal (12%); solar energy (10%); hydroelectric power (5%): and wind (1%). Biomass, hydroelectric pumped storage, and petroleum, supplied the rest.

U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA - Independent Statistics and Analysis

www.eia.gov

 

[bit_user]

I doubt they'll need anywhere near as much as a fab would, but the Phoenix area does have regulation on their water supplies so they're generally better off than the rest of the state.

Phoenix recently had a problem with unregulated construction, in unincorporated townships. The water crisis is real and uncertainty looms. It affects not just new businesses, but their ability to attract residents to work at these plants.