Semiconductor materials vendor Entegris is the latest domestic company to receive direct funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce (DoC) through the CHIPS and Science Act.
Under the deal, the $75 million direct funding will be used to develop a state-of-the-art facility in Colorado Springs, Colorado, to support its advanced materials handling (AMH) and microcontamination control (MC) divisions. Specifically, the facility will increase production capabilities for Entegris’ front-opening-unified pods (FOUPs), products used to transport and protect silicon wafers during the semiconductor manufacturing process as well as liquid filtration and purification products.
Entegris is the 11th company to receive direct funding through the CHIPS Act — a bill signed by the Biden Administration in 2022 to help increase domestic semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S. Earlier this month, Rocket Lab received about $24 million through the CHIPS Act to modernize and expand its compound semiconductor production for spacecraft and satellites.
Other companies that have received funding from the DoC through the CHIPS Act include:
- Intel
- TSMC
- Samsung
- GlobalFoundries
- MicroChip
- BAE Systems
- Absolics
- Polar Semiconductor
- Micron Technology
“Today marks an important moment in the effort to strengthen the U.S. semiconductor manufacturing infrastructure,” said Bertrand Loy, president and chief executive officer at Entegris. “We have been a strategic partner to semiconductor companies for over 50 years and are proud to be among the first suppliers in the semiconductor industry to receive this important federal support. We made the decision to expand our presence in the U.S. and to help to create a stronger and more resilient domestic semiconductor ecosystem.”
The facility
The manufacturing center is expected to create about 600 new jobs in Colorado Springs over the next several years, spanning roles from entry-level manufacturing to engineering. Additionally, 500 construction jobs will be created by 2030.
The factory is slated to begin commercial operations in 2025 and will be built in multiple phases, the first of which will support FOUP production. The second phase will support the production of advanced liquid filters, purifiers and fluid handling solutions.
Entegris is partnering with Microchip Technology, Pikes Peak State College, Pikes Peak Business and Education Alliance and other high schools and universities in the region to collaborate on workforce development, STEM skill development, reimbursement and grants and scholarship funding.
