At the turn of the century, semiconductor memory and storage products made up 10 percent of the overall market. Two decades later, it now commands close to 30 percent of the semiconductor market. We expect to witness exponential growth in the memory and storage sector in the next couple of years, at a rate faster than the projected growth of the semiconductor industry to $1 trillion by 2030.
At the heart of this trajectory is the accelerated rate of digitalization in recent years that enabled the shift from the PC and internet era to smartphones and on to today's burgeoning data and artificial intelligence (AI) economy. As we traverse the next generation of technologies, memory and storage become increasingly central to enabling innovation such as cloud, data centers, mobile, networking, industrial technology, graphics, automotive, and high-performance computing.
To address the projected growth trajectory, Micron establishes itself as a manufacturing powerhouse with highly skilled talents and world-class smart manufacturing technologies. Micron is present in 17 countries, with 11 manufacturing sites and 15 customer labs to serve our customers worldwide. In Malaysia, our manufacturing sites in Johor and Penang fill the critical role of assembly and testing in the Micron network. These sites strengthen and accelerate our ability to deliver worldclass SSD technology, contributing to leading-edge technology for semiconductor assembly and testing for the latest 232-layer NAND components and SSDs.
With energy being a critical enabler for Micron’s operations in Malaysia, we have deepened our commitment to sustainable practices. In April 2022, Micron Malaysia subscribed to the Green Electricity Tariff (GET) program – this enabled the sourcing of 100 percent renewable energy to power Micron’s operations and achieve a 100 percent reduction in carbon emissions – resulting in the removal of approximately 120,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year (equivalent to annually removing 24,000 passenger vehicles from the road). The continued partnership with the Malaysian government has been pivotal as we do our part in accelerating the growth of Malaysia’s digital and green economy.
Working with subject matter experts and ecosystem partners has enabled Micron to harness R&D growth opportunities above industry standards. We have been able to advance R&D in semiconductor materials, smart manufacturing, and artificial intelligence – key areas in preserving and strengthening Malaysia’s leadership in the E&E sector, in line with the vision to accelerate strategic and highimpact industries, as outlined in the 12th Malaysia Plan.
The deployment of smart manufacturing and AI across our supply chain and operations has enabled us to increase yields node penetration faster, grow the bits per wafer, reduce cost, and bring up yields on nodes fast at the highest quality levels at strong yields and production throughput capability – ultimately maximizing efficiency, yield, and quality of our production.
Investments in advanced technology with a data-driven model have decreased process variability manual touch-points and eliminated errors. In a granular view, there are thousands of process steps, 0.5M sensors deployed, and 0.25M process control points across our factories, equipment, and facilities. Every week, 20 million images are processed and combined into more than 30 petabytes of data that we mine and extract to be able to predict operational challenges and respond in real time.
Our operations have been recognized by the World Economic Forum as a Smart Manufacturing Lighthouse – leading the way towards the fourth industrial revolution.
Advanced manufacturing operations require highly-skilled talents, and Micron requires the brightest and best talents in order for us to drive excellence across our manufacturing sites. Micron is committed to the development of such talent through its New College Graduates (NCG) program, aimed at producing industry-ready talent. We also exemplify our people value by investing and innovating in programs that attract and engage top talent, building a creative, diverse, and inclusive team. One such example is the launch of the first industry-led childcare center in Batu Kawan, Penang – an effort enabled in partnership with the Penang State Government and TalentCorp
