Arizona’s semiconductor ecosystem experienced significant milestones last week as key industry players convened in Phoenix for the SEMICON West conference. Among the highlights, Applied Materials and Arizona State University (ASU) celebrated the grand opening of the new Materials-to-Fab (MTF) Center in Tempe. Also in Tempe, Busch Vacuum Solutions launched a new facility dedicated to the repair, service and overhaul of semiconductor equipment. In late September, Brewer Science expanded its footprint with the opening of a new office and laboratory in Chandler.
These developments underscore the expanding footprint and growing influence of the semiconductor industry across the Greater Phoenix area and the State of Arizona.
On October 9, a ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the official launch of the $270 million MTF Center, a state-of-the-art development and prototyping facility located at ASU’s MacroTechnology Works within the ASU Research Park. The center is designed to accelerate the path from innovation to fabrication by housing Applied Materials’ advanced semiconductor manufacturing tools in a collaborative space. Here, university researchers, industry leaders, startups, government agencies and academic institutions will work side by side to drive innovation. The project received a $30 million investment from the Arizona Commerce Authority.
