Micron to invest $9.6 billion in western Japan plant, report says Signage at the Micron Technology booth at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai is seen on Nov. 6. Micron Technology will spend ¥1.5 trillion ($9.6 billion) to build a plant in western Japan to make memory chips for artificial intelligence applications, Nikkei newspaper reported. The move comes as Micron looks to diversify advanced chip production outside of Taiwan, Nikkei said, citing people familiar with the matter. The new factory will manufacture high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips, a key component for working with AI processors such as those made by Nvidia, according to the report. Micron will build the facility within the compound of its Hiroshima plant, starting in May, with plans to launch HBM shipments around 2028, Nikkei said. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will subsidize up to ¥500 billion of the costs for the project, the newspaper said.