Air Liquide, a global industrial gas company, has announced plans to invest $250 million in a new plant in Idaho. The plant will produce ultra-pure nitrogen and other gases to supply U.S. chipmaker Micron Technology. This investment comes as semiconductor companies are increasing their production capacity to meet the growing demand for chips in various electronic devices.
The new plant will specifically support the production of cutting-edge memory chips, which are in high demand due to the increasing computing capacities required for artificial intelligence applications. Air Liquide’s CEO for the Americas, Matthieu Giard, emphasized the importance of this investment in meeting the growing demand for memory chips.
Micron, one of the leading chip manufacturers, recently began mass production of its high-bandwidth memory (HBM) semiconductors. These chips are used in Nvidia’s latest artificial intelligence chip. The collaboration between Micron and Air Liquide will further strengthen their positions in the rapidly expanding AI market.
The new Air Liquide plant is expected to be operational by the end of 2025. In addition to boosting production capacity, this investment will also create hundreds of direct and indirect job opportunities. Overall, this strategic move by Air Liquide reflects the company’s commitment to supporting the development of advanced technologies and meeting the evolving needs of the semiconductor industry.