Micron is celebrating the start of 1-alpha DRAM manufacturing at its Manassas, Virginia, fab, an important milestone in the company’s push to significantly expand memory production in the United States. As the only U.S.-based memory manufacturer, Micron is uniquely positioned to strengthen the country’s domestic supply of memory.
The 1-alpha node, the most advanced memory technology ever produced in the U.S., is ideal for long-lifecycle applications such as DDR4 and LP4 products. Micron’s Virginia expansion will serve customers in automotive, defense and aerospace, industrial, networking, and medical device markets that rely on this type of memory.
Senior U.S. and Virginia officials joined Micron at the Manassas facility to mark the occasion. Chairman, President, and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra will host the event alongside company leaders, with remarks from U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, and Virginia Speaker of the House Don Scott.
They will be joined by representatives from the Trump Administration, Congress, state and local government, customers, suppliers, the business community, and partners from regional academic institutions, nonprofits, and community organizations.
Micron’s more than $2 billion investment in expanding and modernizing the Manassas fab supports over 3,100 direct manufacturing and community jobs and is backed by federal, state, and local incentives. This expansion underscores Micron’s commitment to building a resilient, U.S.-based memory ecosystem.
A complete memory portfolio for the AI era
Micron’s 1-alpha technology is said to be the most advanced DDR4 solution in the world, will meet long-lifecycle product needs while the company ramps other leading-edge memory technologies in Boise, Idaho, and Clay, New York, in the years ahead.
Micron expects qualified 1-alpha DRAM production out of Manassas by the end of 2026. The $2 billion investment will effectively quadruple Micron’s DDR4 wafer supply in Manassas, giving U.S. automotive, defense and aerospace, and industrial customers a much stronger domestic source of memory.
Micron’s memory and storage solutions are at the core of the AI revolution, and AI-driven demand is reshaping nearly every market Micron serves from data centers to automobiles to the factory floor.
As AI advances, high-performance memory has become a strategic asset, and Micron’s full portfolio from long-lifecycle memory made in Manassas to cutting-edge memory powering the world’s most advanced systems covers the full spectrum of customer requirements.
Building America’s memory future
Micron continues to make rapid progress across its U.S. manufacturing expansion. The company broke ground on its new New York memory complex in January, and site preparation is already ahead of schedule.
Micron still expects initial wafer output from its first Idaho fab in mid–2027, and groundwork has begun on the second Idaho facility. Together, these projects are expected to create around 90,000 jobs and help meet U.S. economic and national security goals.
To support the growth of the U.S. semiconductor industry, Micron has committed over $325 million to workforce development and community programs across Virginia, Idaho, and New York.
This includes semiconductor curriculum development, partnerships with community colleges and universities, registered apprenticeships, and other initiatives designed to open more pathways into semiconductor careers.
In Virginia, Micron’s investments include the Micron Registered Apprenticeship Program, developed with Northern Virginia Community College and the National Institute for Innovation and Career Advancement, which creates a clear route into full-time semiconductor technician roles.
The 2026 Micron STEM Opportunity Fund, managed through the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia, supports more than 16,000 K–12 students across the region. Veterans are a key part of Micron’s Manassas workforce, with roughly one in ten team members at the site having served in the military.
Micron supports these employees through partnerships with the Department of War’s SkillBridge program, the Commonwealth of Virginia, local veteran organizations, and nearby military bases.
Leadership Comments
“Today’s achievement is an important step in Micron’s $200 billion investment plan to expand memory manufacturing and R&D in the U.S.,” said Sanjay Mehrotra, Chairman, President and CEO of Micron Technology. “It reflects Micron’s enduring commitment to the customers and industries that depend on long-lifecycle memory for critical applications. We are proud to bring advanced 1? DRAM manufacturing to American soil, strengthening domestic supply for U.S. customers and the global markets we serve.”
“We are grateful to President Trump, U.S. Secretary Lutnick, Ambassador Greer, Governor Spanberger, U.S. Senators Warner and Kaine, Virginia Speaker of the House of Delegates Scott, the Commonwealth of Virginia, General Assembly, Mayor Davis and the City of Manassas, our customers, suppliers, local partners, and communities whose continued support has made this milestone possible,” said Sanjay.
“We are finally building memory semiconductors in America,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick. “Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, Micron, the leading American memory company, is building these critical components of semiconductor’s most advanced technologies here in Virginia. Micron’s massive national $200 billion investment will quadruple American production of industrial, automotive, defense and aerospace memory chips. In addition, Micron is bringing leading-edge memory production home to America, continuing the building of our advanced manufacturing resurgence.”
