Locator: 49000MMF.
My favorite chart.
MMFs.
I vividly remember the pushback I got when I started posting "my favorite chart." LOL.
It looks like someone is getting a kick out of tracking MMFs.
My most recent "my favorite chart" post, on MMFs:
Locator: 48900MMF.
Tag: MMF, MMFs, money market funds;
Subtle, but slight increase. The total value continues to increase.
Locator: 48999TECH.
DUV
The DUV (Deep Ultraviolet) lithography process in a semiconductor fab uses deep ultraviolet light (typically 193 nm) to print intricate patterns of chip layers onto silicon wafers, which are then processed through deposition, etching, and doping steps to build integrated circuits. The DUV process is a core, cost-effective component of chip manufacturing, involving coating wafers with photoresist, using a mask to transfer a circuit blueprint using DUV light, and then using that pattern to guide subsequent material deposition, etching, or doping.EUV
The EUV semiconductor fab process uses Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) light to create smaller, more intricate patterns on silicon wafers, enabling advanced microchips. In this process, a high-energy laser hits molten tin droplets to generate 13.5nm EUV light. This light is then directed through a complex system of mirrors, which reflects the pattern from an EUV mask onto a photoresist-coated wafer. The EUV light exposes the photoresist, forming the desired circuit design, and the wafer is subsequently processed to etch the circuits into the silicon.
RISC-V
Locator: 48998TECH.
Two huge question marks in tech:
AI (cloud and edge, doesn't matter):
Energy:
Locator: 48997AMAZON.
In case the type is too small to read inside the box:
Amazon Prime is simply incredible.
Plus I get 5% cash-back on all purchases at Amazon using my Amazon credit card.
5% of $70 = $3.50.
Savings easily pays the monthly Amazon Prime fee. And with Amazon Prime, I also get Amazon Prime video and so much other stuff I can't keep track, and generally don't use anyway.
Most Important Developments
Not Necessarily Limited To Fabs
Fabs in Oregon
August 30, 2025:
Semiconductor fabs in Oregon include Intel's facilities in Hillsboro, Jireh Semiconductor's (an Alpha and Omega Semiconductor subsidiary) fab in Hillsboro, the Microchip Technology fab in Gresham, and the Analog Devices plant in Aloha. Other companies like Stratacache have purchased facilities but are not yet in full production.
Fabs in Texas
August 30, 2025:
Texas is home to multiple semiconductor fabrication plants (fabs) operated by major companies, including two 300mm wafer fabs at Texas Instruments (TI) in Richardson and a new 300mm wafer fab under construction by Samsung in Taylor. Texas Instruments also has new 300mm wafer fabs being built in Sherman, and other semiconductor companies with facilities in Texas include NXP Semiconductors and Infineon.
Multiple companies operate major semiconductor fabrication facilities in Texas, including long-term manufacturing hubs in Austin and Richardson, along with significant new expansions in Taylor and Sherman. The recent growth has been fueled by incentives from the Texas CHIPS Act and federal CHIPS and Science Act.
Fabs in Ohio
August 30, 2025:
Intel's first Ohio fab (Mod 1) is expected to have construction completed in 2030, with operations to begin in 2030-2031, and the second fab (Mod 2) in 2031, with operations starting in 2032.
This schedule represents a delay from previous projections, with Intel citing financial responsibility and the need to align with customer demand as reasons for the slower construction pace at its Ohio One site.
Intel fabs: update.
Twenty Most Important Global Fabs
This was posted by PatentPC on August 18, 2025: top ten (sic) most advanced Fabs in the world, latest rankings. Link here.
1. TSMC Fab 18 -- Taiwan, 3nm and 5nm chips; monthly capacity: 100,000 wafers; critical for Nvidia.
2. Samsung Pyeongtaek Campus, South Korea; the world's largest semiconductor fab, spanning over 2.9 million square meters (2.9 x 10.7639 = 31 million square feet); a city; handles most advanced fabrication processes including 3nm and below.
3. Intel D1X -- Primary Research and Development Fab for Intel's advanced notes, incuidng 18A (1.8nm); Ronler Acres campus in Hillsboro, Oregon, south of Portland;
What makes D1X stand out is its role in process innovation. Unlike high-volume fabs, this facility focuses on refining the techniques that will eventually be used in larger production facilities worldwide. This means that breakthroughs in D1X shape the entire semiconductor industry.
4. TSMC Fab 20 -- Taiwan, first fab to mass-produce 2nm chips; expected to start operations in 2025.
5. Samsung Hwaseong -- South Korea, produces cutting-edge GAA transistors for sub-3nm nodes.
6. Intel Ocotillo Fab 42 -- Chandler, Arizona, Intel's largest production fab; the move from Intel 7 (10nm) to Intel 4 (7nm).
7. TSMC Arizona Fab -- North Phoenix, USA -- $40 billion investment; will produce 4nm and later 3nm chips from 2025;
TSMC is not only bringing advanced chip production closer to key clients like Apple, NVIDIA, and AMD but also reinforcing supply chain resilience amid geopolitical uncertainties.
8. Samsung Taylor Fab -- Taylor, Texas, USA; $17 billion investment; will manufacture 3nm ad 4nm chips by 2024 - 2025; re-shoring! In Texas' Silicon Valley, northeast of Austin, TX.
9. Intel Magdeburg Fab -- Germany; a $33 billion investment; expected to start 2nm production by 2027;
Intel’s Magdeburg fab isn’t just another semiconductor plant—it’s a high-stakes move in the battle for technological dominance. With a staggering $33 billion investment, Intel is making a bold statement: Europe will play a critical role in the future of advanced chip manufacturing. For businesses, this shift is monumental. Supply chains will diversify, risks tied to Asia-centric production will reduce, and companies reliant on cutting-edge chips will gain a new, strategically located supplier. Whether you’re a tech startup, an automotive giant, or a data center operator, this fab’s arrival changes the way you think about sourcing chips.
10. GlobalFoundries Fab 8 -- Luther Forest Technology Campus, Malta, NY, USA, north of Albany, NY, produces advanced FinFET notes up to 12nm with a monthly capacity of 60,000 wafers.
GlobalFoundries may not be competing at 3nm or 2nm, but its role in supplying specialized chips is crucial. Many industries still rely on 12nm and older nodes, and Fab 8 ensures a steady supply of these essential components.
The next ten:
11. TSMC Nanjin -- China; focused on 16nm and 28nm process nodes for the Chinese market.
12. Samsung Austin -- Austin, TX, USA; one of the largest semiconductor fabs in the US, producing 14nm and older nodes.
13. TSMC Kumamoto Fab -- Japan; joint venture with Sony, producing 22nm and 28nm chips by 2024.
14. SMIC Beijing Fab -- China, the most advanced Fab in China, recently producing 7nm chips.
15. SK Hynix M16 -- South Korea; produces DRAM and NAND (think Micron) with EUV lithograpy fro advanced memory.
16. Micron Hiroshima Fab -- Japan; produced advanced DRAM using 1α (1-Alpha) process node.
17. Intel Ireland Fab 34 -- producing Intel 4 (7nm) chips with EUV lithography.
18. TSMC Fab 15 -- Taiwan -- one of the first fabs to mass-produce 7nm chips still operational
19. UMC Fab 12A -- Taiwan -- one of the most advanced non-TSMC fabs in Taiwan, producing 14nm chips
20. Samsung P3 Fab -- South Korea; will produce 2nm and below using GAA transistors by 2025.
*****************************
Global Fabs
The list is incredibly long.
Number of fabs (all approximate) that are
Behind a paywall, link here, and archived:
HOUSTON, Aug 29 (Reuters) - California's Energy Commission voted on Friday to temporarily set aside penalties for excessive refining profits that were adopted after gasoline pump prices climbed over $8 a gallon in 2022.Coincidentally, this blog was posted about twelve hours earlier, link here.
The five-year delay in implementing the penalties comes as Phillips 66's Los Angeles refinery is preparing to begin shutting production as early as next week ahead of a permanent closure.
The fact is, supply is declining faster than demand, and we need to bring them into alignment: that means slowing supply loss while aggressively pursuing the transition to zero emission vehicles," the Commission's staff said in an emailed statement. [So far, there is no Plan B to slow supply loss in California, according to ChatGPT.]
California's Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom had proposed the penalties, but has since switched direction amid worries of price spikes in 2026 after the closure of the Phillips 66 refinery and a San Francisco-area plant operated by Valero Energy Corp next year.
California refiners: link here.
Phillips 66 on track to shut down its California refinery as scheduled, or perhaps slightly ahead of schedule. No talk yet of who might buy it. ChatGPT says there are no reports of anyone looking to buy this refinery, and the state of California seems to be caught flat-footed on this development though it was announced years ago; California was very, very aware of this closure; but, failed to come up with a Plan B, except to import refined products.
Flashback to 2022:
In 2022, California gasoline prices saw significant increases, driven by events like the Russia-Ukraine war.
Prices reached historic highs, averaging $5.89 a gallon in the summer of 2022, with some counties seeing prices over $6.
The surge in California prices occurred alongside record-breaking national averages, with the U.S. average reaching $4.25 per gallon in March 2022.
In Oregon, it was not much better.
In 2022, average gas prices in Oregon peaked around $5.55 per gallon in June and remained high, with an average of $5.14 in late September before dipping slightly by year-end, although overall prices were consistently above the national average.
These elevated prices were driven by high demand, supply constraints from West Coast refinery issues, and limited crude oil transportation options like pipelines.
PSX ticker:
