Texas Instruments’ new silicon wafer fabrication facility in Richardson, Texas, could easily be mistaken for a typical business expansion. It’s been built to blend in with an adjacent structure that’s been part of the company’s manufacturing arsenal since 2009.
But inside, four shifts of workers wearing white safety suits that resemble hazmat gear move around the clock through the 630,000-square-foot combined clean room space. This sterile environment is where a 400-step process takes place to turn 300 millimeter wafers into some of the world’s most essential technology.
Specialized pods that can weigh the equivalent of three gallons of milk carry production materials around 15 miles of track connecting the two factories. That allows the facilities to operate independently but still work together in unison.
