Micron Opens World’s Largest Semiconductor Clean Room in Gujarat

India took a major step in its semiconductor ambitions as Micron Technology commenced operations at its advanced memory ATMP facility in Sanand, Gujarat. The plant shipped its first finished DRAM module to Dell Technologies, marking the country’s entry into high-end semiconductor assembly and testing.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the facility, which represents India’s first advanced memory Assembly, Testing, Marking and Packaging (ATMP) site.

Largest Raised-Floor Clean Room Globally

The Sanand unit houses a 500,000 square foot raised-floor clean room — the largest single semiconductor assembly clean room of its kind worldwide. Engineered specifically for Gujarat’s soil and climate conditions, the structure mitigates moisture-related risks.

The clean room is rated Class 1000, allowing no more than 1,000 particles per cubic metre. Air is circulated 120 times per hour, significantly higher than pharmaceutical standards. This ensures protection of delicate integrated circuits and gold bonding wires that are thinner than fractions of a human hair.

Advanced Memory Manufacturing Operations

The facility assembles and tests DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) and NAND flash memory. DRAM serves as working memory for computers, smartphones and data centres, while NAND supports non-volatile storage in SSDs and other devices.

Operations follow a wafer-in to finished-product-out model. Wafers sourced from Micron’s global fabrication plants are thinned, diced into chips, assembled, tested and mounted onto modules before final quality checks and shipment.

The total planned investment across two phases stands at $2.7 billion. Production is expected to reach tens of millions of integrated circuits this year, scaling close to one billion units annually by 2027. While exports will form a large share, domestic demand will also be served.

Skilled Workforce and Technology Integration

The plant employs around 1,300 people, nearly half of whom are fresh engineering graduates from Gujarat and neighbouring states. Specialised semiconductor curricula were developed in collaboration with universities. Selected recruits underwent 3–6 months of hands-on training at Micron facilities in Malaysia and Singapore.

Automation systems, AI-driven factory intelligence and advanced yield engineering tools deployed at the site match global benchmarks. Initial shipments include DRAM modules for Dell, with additional supplies planned for companies such as Asus and Qualcomm.

Important Facts for Exams

• ATMP stands for Assembly, Testing, Marking and Packaging in semiconductor manufacturing.
• DRAM is volatile memory used as primary working memory in computing devices.
• NAND flash memory is non-volatile storage widely used in SSDs and smartphones.
• Clean room classifications define permissible particle counts per cubic metre of air.

Boost to India’s Semiconductor Ecosystem

The Sanand facility strengthens India’s semiconductor value chain beyond design into advanced memory packaging and testing. It aligns with the national objective of building a resilient electronics manufacturing ecosystem and reducing import dependence in critical technologies.