Swedish MEMS foundry giant secures Pennsylvania facility in strategic expansion
STOCKHOLM: Silex Microsystems has officially signed a deal to buy a 200 mm integrated circuit fab in Pennsylvania from semiconductor company Onsemi. The purchase price is $40 million.
A Bold Step Into American Manufacturing
This isn’t just any acquisition – it’s Silex’s first manufacturing foothold in the United States. The company plans to transform the facility into a dedicated MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems) fab, which they’re calling “Silex U.S. Fab.”
“We’re proud to have moved from words to action in a short period of time,” said Edvard Kälvesten, CEO and Founder of Silex Microsystems. “By establishing MEMS manufacturing capacity in the United States, we’re further strengthening our position as the world’s leading pure-play MEMS foundry.”
The move brings Silex closer to its American customer base – a smart play considering many of their biggest clients are U.S.-based. Local manufacturing means faster response times, better customer integration, and less exposure to geopolitical risks, a statement said.
The facility, located in Mountain Top, Pennsylvania, comes with about 3,000 square metres of existing cleanroom space, with room to expand to nearly 12,000 square metres more. That’s roughly double the cleanroom space of Silex’s current Swedish operation.
What This Means for the Future
Silex is taking a practical approach to this expansion. Instead of building from scratch (which would be riskier and more expensive), they’re buying an existing fab and converting it. This strategy cuts down on execution risk and makes use of the infrastructure, equipment, and workforce already in place.
The company has already gained access to the premises and expects to take full ownership around the end of 2027, pending approval from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). If that approval doesn’t come through, the deal could fall apart – though Silex would lose $2.5 million of their $10 million deposit.
The total investment, including the purchase price and conversion costs, is expected to hit about SEK 1,600 million (roughly $150 million USD). The spending plan breaks down to about SEK 1,000 million between 2026-2027, with around SEK 200 million annually from 2028 through 2030.
Currently, the Pennsylvania facility employs about 130 people. Silex plans to offer jobs to these existing employees once they take ownership and begin scaling up production.
The company has set ambitious targets: they expect the U.S. fab to break even at EBIT level between 2029 and 2030, and reach revenue and profitability levels matching their Swedish 200 mm fab’s 2025 performance by 2034.
The acquisition is being financed through Silex’s existing cash reserves and available debt financing. Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP is handling the legal side of things for the company.
Closing of the deal is expected around year-end 2027, subject to standard conditions including CFIUS clearance.
Silex Microsystems is the world’s leading pure-play MEMS foundry. The company develops and manufactures advanced microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) on behalf of its customers, integrating mechanical and electronic components to enable high-precision sensing, control, and motion applications. Its customer base includes leading global technology companies, with MEMS used across a wide range of applications, including medical devices, cloud infrastructure, and autonomous vehicles. Silex Microsystems was founded in Sweden in 2000 and today has more than 480 employees. The company’s headquarters and manufacturing facility are located in Järfälla, Stockholm. Silex Microsystems is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm under the ticker SILEX.
