Intel has begun installing production equipment at its Arizona Fab 62, making its US manufacturing expansion more than just another artist’s impression.
According to Tom’s Hardware, Chipzilla expects operations to begin by the end of 2028 at what will become its sixth high-volume manufacturing facility at the Ocotillo campus.
Intel Foundry executive vice president and chief technology and operations officer Naga Chandrasekaran said: “Construction and tool installation at Fab 62 are now fully underway; we expect operations to begin by the end of 2028”.
The company has yet to identify which manufacturing process the factory will use, its planned wafer capacity or the remaining expenditure needed to complete it.
Neighbouring Fab 52 already manufactures chips using Intel 18A. Fab 62 could provide additional capacity for that technology or accommodate the next-generation 14A process, but Chipzilla has not confirmed either assignment.
Installing equipment moves the project beyond constructing an expensive shell. The considerable business of qualifying those tools and turning silicon into saleable processors remains.
The operational target should not be confused with a confirmed timetable for full-volume output. Intel has left that detail unspecified.
In Ohio, workers have installed the first major structural truss at the first fab on the New Albany campus. The progress is visible, although a roof support remains some distance from a functioning semiconductor factory. The latest announcement provides no revised opening date, production capacity or process allocation for Ohio One.
Chandrasekaran used the update to promote Intel’s combination of US research, process development, manufacturing and packaging.
He highlighted 18A’s RibbonFET gate-all-around transistors and PowerVia backside power delivery, alongside the company’s work integrating High-NA EUV lithography into high-volume manufacturing in Oregon.
Chipzilla’s wider investment includes advanced packaging production in New Mexico and a new photomask manufacturing facility in Santa Clara, California.
Intel says its US operations work with more than 4,500 suppliers across 49 states, generating more than $29 billion in annual domestic spending.
