According to Reuters, Taiwan-based Sino-American Silicon Products (SAS) said on August 8 that its subsidiary GlobalWafers received just over US$200 million in June under the US CHIPS and Science Act, representing about half of a US$406 million grant awarded last December to expand its US silicon wafer production capacity. The disbursement supports the company's projects in Sherman, Texas, and O'Fallon, Missouri, aimed at addressing critical gaps in the domestic semiconductor supply chain.
GlobalWafers said in May, when the company inaugurated its US$3.5 billion wafer plant in Sherman, that the funding would be released in stages upon meeting specific project milestones.
The Sherman fab marks the first US-based production of advanced wafers through a partnership with Apple. The facility's first phase has secured multiple long-term agreements, with initial shipments expected by the end of March 2025 and a ramp-up in the second quarter. More advanced wafers, requiring six to nine months of qualification, are slated for shipment in the third quarter.
Globalwafers chair Doris Hsu also announced plans for an additional US$4 billion expansion at the Texas site, bringing total US investment to US$7.5 billion. Future phases, she noted, will depend on stable operations, stronger demand, firm prepayment-backed contracts, and continued government support through grants and tax incentives.
Article edited by Jack Wu
