Infineon Technologies AG opened the Smart Power Fab in Dresden several months ahead of schedule. The new plant, with an investment of 5 billion euros, is the largest single investment in Infineon's history and one of the largest investment projects in Germany, creating 1,000 new jobs.
The new fab doubles Infineon's manufacturing capacities at the Dresden site, thus creating the world's largest factory for intelligent power semiconductors and analog/mixed-signal technologies, the company said.
"We're opening our new plant at just the right time," said Infineon CEO Jochen Hanebeck in a statement. "Our Smart Power Fab is creating urgently needed capacities for the key technologies of the future, for everything from energy supply for AI data centers to software-defined vehicles and renewable energies. Infineon is thus giving an important impulse in making the global AI revolution possible and securing supply chains in critical industries. By taking this step, we are strengthening our global vanguard position as a leading manufacturer of power semiconductors and analog / mixed-signal technologies."
The new Smart Power Fab uses digitalization to accelerate production to twice as fast as in the past, depending on demand. For example, the building itself and the ideal machine layout were pre-planned and optimized using a digital twin. System and process clearance is supported by AI algorithms. Furthermore, the connection to the Infineon plant in Villach as "One Virtual Fab" makes qualification of processes and products significantly faster than in the past. The increased ramp-up speed lets Infineon effectively and flexibly leverage current market opportunities, including in the field of AI.
In the future, chips made in Dresden will contribute to the efficient supply of power to AI data centers, among other things. The chips are also used in other industrial and automotive applications, such as wind and solar power systems and software- defined vehicles. One example is intelligent switches that not only control loads but also monitor the flow of electricity. The interaction between power semiconductors and analog/mixed-signal components enables especially energy-efficient and intelligent system solutions, hence the "Smart Power Fab" name.
Infineon's Smart Power Fab is also improving sustainable manufacturing. Modern production technologies and optimized energy and resource processes help reduce energy consumption and further improve the environmental footprint of chip production. The new manufacturing system requires no natural gas and cuts water consumption with water treatment and the implementation of closed-loop water systems. Approximately 90 percent of the water used is to be reintroduced in the circulation, making it possible to recover a much as 45 percent of the energy used.
