KLA Corporation Expands Semiconductor R&D Facility by 50,000 sq ft

KLA Corporation has broken ground on a 50,000-square-foot expansion of its Ann Arbor R&D facility on Research Park Drive, a $65 million investment that will house advanced laboratories for developing next-generation semiconductor inspection and metrology systems. The expansion is expected to be completed by mid-2027 and will add capacity for approximately 150 new engineering positions.

"As chipmakers push toward 2-nanometer and below, the demands on inspection technology are growing exponentially," said KLA Ann Arbor site director Dr. Michael Zhang. "This expansion gives us the lab space and cleanroom facilities we need to develop the tools that will enable the next decade of semiconductor innovation. Ann Arbor's proximity to world-class university research and our existing talent base made this an easy decision."

The expanded facility will include two new Class 100 cleanrooms, an advanced optics laboratory, and a dedicated AI computing cluster for developing machine learning-enhanced inspection algorithms. KLA has also announced partnerships with the University of Michigan's Lurie Nanofabrication Facility and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering for collaborative research.

KLA currently employs approximately 500 people at its Ann Arbor campus, making it one of the largest semiconductor technology employers in Michigan. The expansion aligns with the broader CHIPS Act-driven resurgence in domestic semiconductor manufacturing and R&D investment. State officials have committed $8 million in economic development incentives to support the project. "Michigan was once the center of automotive innovation. With investments like this, we're also becoming a center for semiconductor technology," said Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer at the groundbreaking ceremony.