Tower Semiconductor (TSEM) is making one of the biggest investments in its history, and it could significantly strengthen the company’s long-term growth outlook. The specialty chip foundry plans to invest $3 billion to expand its manufacturing footprint in Japan, supported by $1 billion in grants from the Japanese government. The dual-track expansion will boost production of silicon photonics, silicon-germanium, and advanced packaging technologies that are increasingly critical for artificial intelligence (AI), data centers, optical networking, and next-generation communications.
The first phase of the project will convert Tower’s Arai facility into a 300mm silicon photonics manufacturing plant, with full operations expected by the fourth quarter of 2027, while the second phase involves constructing a new 300mm fabrication facility in Japan.