Micron Technology, headquartered in Boise, Idaho, designs, develops, manufactures and sells computer memory and data storage products worldwide. Its Compute & Networking Business Unit (CNBU) offers memory products sold into cloud server, enterprise, client and graphics markets.

Micron also operates a mobile business unit that produces memory and flash products for smartphones and other mobile devices. Its Storage Business Unit provides SSDs and other components for enterprise, cloud, client and consumer storage markets.

Founded in 1978

In 1978, three engineers from Mostek, a semiconductor company in Boise, Idaho, left to start a small design consulting firm. The four-person startup eventually became Micron Technology, one of the top names in the semiconductor industry.

In 1982, Micron began shipping memory chips and quickly established a reputation for both quality and size. Its chips were sized 40 percent smaller than Motorola’s and 15 percent smaller than Hitachi’s, a breakthrough that allowed the company to compete effectively with its rivals.

Despite this early success, the company fell victim to cyclical changes in the market. In 1995, a glut of memory chips caused a price spiral that severely affected Micron’s profits.

The company is establishing a new fabrication plant in Central New York, a move that will help to strengthen the state’s economy and create modern manufacturing jobs for workers from throughout the region. The project will include a 49-year Payment in Lieu of Taxes agreement and abatement of state and local sales taxes on construction expenses, as well as an investment in research and development, a workforce sustainability grant, and educational opportunities for residents.

Locations

Micron technology aims to bring future-ready manufacturing to Central New York with a $100 billion investment in a memory chip plant in the Town of Clay. It will be one of the largest private investments in New York state history and will create tens of thousands of high-tech jobs.

It’s also expected to transform the local economy by attracting other tech businesses and vendors, as well as creating a “hub” for chip manufacturing in Upstate New York. The site was chosen after a two-year effort by Governor Andrew Cuomo, Congressman Chuck Schumer and Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon to lure the company with a package of incentives.

The plant will manufacture DRAM (dynamic random-access memory) chips, which are widely used in data centers and personal computers. It will also produce NAND flash, or non-volatile memory, which is designed to store more information than traditional DRAM chips.

Products

Micron manufactures dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chips and flash memory products. These are used in computers, smartphones, and other electronic devices.

Founded in 1978, Micron began with a small group of engineers in Boise, Idaho. They started by designing semiconductors for a company called Mostek Corp. But when that company was bought by United Technologies, Micron decided to switch its focus to manufacturing semiconductors instead of designing them.

They built their first plant for $20 million, about one-quarter of the typical cost of a semiconductor manufacturing facility. They were able to do this by taking a bare-bones approach to the manufacturing process.

The company manufactures DRAM, flash memory, and USB flash drives under the Crucial and Ballistix brands. They offer their products through a variety of channels including distributors and retailers. In addition, the company tries to form joint ventures that enable it to share development costs with other companies. The company also invests in early-stage tech firms.

History

Micron technology is a world leader in memory, storage and semiconductor technologies. Its teams of dreamers, visionaries and scientists create the innovations that transform what’s possible.

Founded in 1978, Micron was started by Idaho engineers Ward Parkinson, Douglas Pittman and Dennis Wilson. They were former employees of Mostek Corp.

Mostek had a contract with Micron to produce semiconductor chips for it. However, Mostek was unable to pay the contract and it was canceled in 1979.

As a result, Micron decided to focus on making semiconductors instead of designing them for Mostek. It began by building a factory in Boise to manufacture 64K DRAM chips, which were smaller than those of competitors and more reliable.

In 1984, Micron built a second facility to manufacture 256K DRAM chips. These were smaller than their Japanese competitors and more reliable.