At a 1,000-acre site in Ohio, Intel Corp. (No. 1) is building a pair of semiconductor fabrication plants, or fabs, that promise to be part of an influx of new domestic production of leading-edge chips.

Mechanical engineer, who designed early semiconductor and biotechnology facility clean rooms and related facilities and launched a consulting firm that was later sold to Ireland's largest engineer and project manager, died on Jan. 4.

The award is the largest to be offered under the CHIPS and Science Act program, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said.

Intel and its contractors lean on their experience building semiconductor fabrication plants to grow the manufacturing campus in Chandler, Ariz.

Tech manufacturer's $20B expansion of its microchip production facilities in Arizona has had a tremendous impact on the Southwest region.

Officials attribute the rise in manufacturing construction spending to the CHIPS and Science Act and other legislation that has incentivized private investment.

The U.S. Commerce Dept. launched first funding opportunity for semiconductor chip producers seeking to build, expand or modernize plants using money from the Chips and Science Act. 

Manufacturing companies continue to choose sites in Arizona for new facilities.

The project will support roughly 7,000 construction jobs, according to Intel.