Micron $100 Billion Bet: A New Era of U.S. DRAM Manufacturing

Micron is about to begin construction on a $100 billion semiconductor megafab in New York, a project so staggeringly expensive it could reshape the future of American chipmaking—or collapse under its own weight.

The company will break ground on the DRAM manufacturing complex on January 16. The site is projected to produce 40% of Micron’s U.S. DRAM output by the 2040s, a significant increase from the current 0%. Construction spans four phases with completion expected by 2045.

The first fab module (Fab 1) will begin operations as early as Q1 2029, though full production is delayed until 2030 due to delays.

The New York complex will include four 600,000-square-foot cleanrooms across four major build-out phases. The project will use advanced process technologies, incorporating Low-NA EUV tools ($235M/unit) and High-NA EUV tools ($400M/unit) in later phases. Micron’s total U.S. semiconductor investment will reach $150 billion through 2045, including $50 billion in R&D.

The New York site will complement two new Idaho DRAM fabs (ID1 and ID2) and existing facilities in Singapore, Japan, and Taiwan. This initiative aligns with broader industry trends of semiconductor reshoring, aiming to shift DRAM production back to the U.S.