For the first time, SEMICON West, the annual semiconductor equipment and tools trade show, has been held in Phoenix, Arizona.
While on the surface it shows the event scaling to other venues beyond Silicon Valley, but look deeper and it shows a shift in a center of technology moving to Arizona as global companies move and invest in the state.
“From leading edge manufacturing to R&D, equipment, suppliers, workforce development and advanced packaging, it’s all happening here,” said Katie Hobbs, governor of Arizona, at the show. “Arizona has welcomed more than 60 semiconductor expansions in recent years representing more than $205 billion in investment.”
This includes:
- Intel’s Fab 52 and Fab 62
- Arizona State University’s semiconductor R&D Lab
- Amkor’s Advanced Packaging Campus
- TSMC’s three fab campus
During SEMICON West 2025, the Arizona Commerce Authority and Greater Phoenix Economic Council convening more than 600 ecosystem partners from 17 countries to highlight why Arizona is becoming a technology hub to spur even further investment.
Additionally, Intel kicked off its first Intel Tech Tour in Arizona and unveiled details on its first in-house 18 A processor, dubbed Panther Lake. The processors will start production in Arizona and will be the first U.S. 2 nm class mass production center, Intel said.
Earlier in October 2025, TSMC said it has moved up its timetable for mass production at its third fab in Phoenix, Arizona, to as early as 2027 — an entire year ahead of the original schedule.
The move comes as the U.S. government is increasingly putting pressure on TSMC and Taiwan to move semiconductor production to the U.S. It also indicates the budding demand for 2 nm advanced processing nodes, which the three fabs in Arizona will run.
Also in October of 2025, Amkor announced it started construction on the advanced semiconductor packaging and testing campus in Arizona and expansion of the fab already in place in a $7 billion total investment.
The facility will include 750,000 square feet of cleanroom space and will need about 3,000 employees. The first phase of the campus is slated for mid-2027 completion with production starting in 2028.
