Micron to invest $5.1 billion in new DRAM memory chip fab in Japan by 2027

Micron Technology is reportedly looking to build a new factory to produce DRAM chips in the Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, and will be operational by 2027 at the earliest.

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In a new report from UDN, the total investment that Micron is looking at is between 600 billion and 800 billion yen (around $5.1 billion USD or so). The new DRAM factory will start construction in early 2026, with Micron to install new extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) machines.

The Japanese government is also stepping up, approving 192 billion yen ($1.3 billion) in subsidies to support the production of Micron's next-generation DRAM chips at its Hiroshima plant. The Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry said in 2023 that the funding would help Micron introduce ASML's leading EUV lithography machines. This is the key to driving generative AI, data centers, and self-driving technologies of the future.

Micron did have early plans to have construction of its new DRAM plant in 2024, but the company made 'adjustments' due to poor market conditions. In 2013, Micron acquired a major Japanese DRAM manufacturer, and currently has over 4000 engineers and technicians in Japan.