The Twelve-Month Rule Does Not Describe a New Fab

The Twelve-Month Rule Does Not Describe a New Fab
by Admin on 08-20-2026 at 10:00 am

capex to wafer starts lag

By Nikhil Shah

Capital spending is often treated as if it becomes semiconductor capacity about twelve months later. That can be a useful rule for equipment installed in an existing fab. It is a poor description of a new fab built from the ground up.

I tested the distinction using five advanced-node projects in the United States where… Read More


Captain America: Can Elon Musk Save America’s Chip Manufacturing Industry?

Captain America: Can Elon Musk Save America’s Chip Manufacturing Industry?
by Jonah McLeod on 03-20-2026 at 6:00 am

Elon Musk Lip Bu Tan Wafer Deal

Intel has posted three consecutive years of falling revenue and an $18.76 billion loss in 2024 alone—and the U.S. government has handed it tens of billions of dollars to fix the problem. The government money isn’t fixing the real issue, which isn’t technical. It’s cultural. Intel got slow, political, and risk-averse—the… Read More