GlobalWafers, the world's third-largest silicon wafer supplier, is preparing for a phase two expansion of its $3.5 billion plant in Texas, with an additional investment of $4 billion. This expansion is driven by strong demand for artificial intelligence (AI) applications and increasing customer requests for localized supply chains. The existing Texas facility, which is the first advanced 300mm silicon wafer plant built in the U.S. in over two decades, currently stands as the country's sole advanced wafer manufacturing site. The company expects to make a decision on the second phase in the latter half of 2026, with the capacity aiming to be similar to the first phase.
GlobalWafers Chairperson Doris Hsu noted that despite completing the first phase of the Texas plant last year, it still couldn't meet customer demand, leading to inquiries about the second phase. The Texas facility has potential for up to six phases of expansion. In addition to Texas, GlobalWafers is also expanding a smaller plant in Missouri to produce float-zone silicon wafers, which are crucial for AI accelerators and quantum computing devices. Micron has further solidified its commitment to advanced wafer supply in the US through a long-term agreement and strategic funding support, providing GlobalWafers with greater demand visibility for its Texas facility.
For the second quarter of 2026, GlobalWafers reported a consolidated revenue of NT$15.2 billion (approximately $470 million), an 8.8% quarter-over-quarter increase but a 5.0% year-over-year decrease. The gross margin stood at 20.6%. The company anticipates overall revenue growth in 2026, driven by robust demand for advanced 12-inch wafers used in AI chips and memory. It expects revenue to increase quarter-over-quarter throughout the year, with the first quarter being the lowest. GlobalWafers is also discussing price increases with customers due to rising operational costs and tightening supply. They reported a net profit of NT$3.78 billion (approximately $116.97 million) in Q2 2026, more than double the previous year's Q2.
