The proposed CHIPS investment builds upon SK hynix’s investment of approximately $3.87 billion in West Lafayette, Indiana, to build a memory packaging plant for artificial intelligence (AI) products and an advanced packaging R&D facility, creating approximately 1,000 new jobs and filling a critical gap in the U.S. semiconductor supply chain.
SK hynix’s West Lafayette facility, located at the Purdue University Research Park, will be home to an advanced semiconductor packaging line that will mass-produce next generation HBM. These high-performance memory chips are crucial components of graphics processing units (GPUs) that train AI systems due to their increased processing power. This next generation chip would be mass-produced at the West Lafayette facility and will boast a more advanced performance than the company’s latest HBM, which processes up to 1.18 terabytes of data – the equivalent of 230 full HD movies – per second. Mass production at the facility is expected to begin in the second half of 2028.
As a result of this proposed investment, the Biden-Harris Administration would establish a research hub in Indiana because of SK hynix’s partnership with Purdue University, which hosts the largest facility of its kind at a U.S. university, while bringing next generation HBM and advanced packaging R&D to the United States. The next generation HBM that will be researched and developed, mass-produced, and packaged in this ecosystem with Purdue University will play an important role in the U.S. semiconductor ecosystem and advancing U.S. technological leadership.
SK hynix will collaborate with Purdue University on plans for future R&D projects, which include working on advanced packaging and heterogeneous integration with Purdue’s Birck Nanotechnology Center and other research institutes and industry partners. SK hynix plans to collaborate on projects for memory-centric solutions and architecture for generative AI – specifically memory design and in/near memory computing. As part of its workforce development efforts, SK hynix plans to work with Purdue University and Ivy Tech Community College to develop training programs and interdisciplinary degree curricula that will cultivate a high-tech workforce and build a reliable pipeline of new talent. Additionally, SK hynix plans to support the work of the Purdue Research Foundation and other local non-profits and charities by building partnerships that provide community development, growth opportunities, and leadership training.
The company has indicated that it plans to claim the Department of the Treasury’s Investment Tax Credit, which is expected to be up to 25% of qualified capital expenditures. In addition to the proposed direct funding of up to $450 million, the CHIPS Program Office would make up to $500 million of proposed loans – which is part of the $75 billion in loan authority provided by the CHIPS and Science Act – available to SK hynix under the non-binding PMT.
As explained in its first Notice of Funding Opportunity, the Department may offer applicants a PMT on a non-binding basis after satisfactory completion of the merit review of a full application. The PMT outlines key terms for a potential CHIPS incentives award, including the amount and form of the award. The award amounts are subject to due diligence and negotiation of award documents and are conditional on the achievement of certain milestones. After the PMT is signed, the Department begins a comprehensive due diligence process on the proposed projects and continues negotiating or refining certain terms with the applicant. The terms contained in any final award documents may differ from the terms of the PMT being announced.