May 25, 2026 /SemiMedia/ — Micron Technology said its manufacturing facility in Manassas, Virginia has started production of 1α (1-alpha) DRAM, marking the first time the company’s most advanced DDR4-compatible process technology has entered mass production in the United States.

Micron said it has invested more than $2 billion to expand DDR4 production at the site, including $275 million in funding from the U.S. CHIPS and Science Act. Once fully ramped, the expansion is expected to quadruple DDR4 wafer output by the end of this year.

The Manassas facility is currently the only memory manufacturing plant in the United States and primarily serves long-lifecycle sectors including automotive, aerospace, defense, industrial, networking and medical systems.

The expansion comes as global DDR4 supply continues tightening. Major DRAM makers have been reallocating production capacity toward higher-margin products such as DDR5, LPDDR5X and high-bandwidth memory (HBM) to meet rapidly growing AI-related demand.

Micron previously announced plans to phase out portions of its DDR4 and LPDDR4 product lineup for mainstream consumer and data center markets, with shipments expected to end in early 2026.

S&P Global Mobility estimates automotive DRAM contract prices could rise between 70% and 100% in 2026 compared with 2025 levels. Inventory buffers for automotive and industrial DDR4 buyers have also reportedly fallen from more than 31 weeks to roughly six to eight weeks.

Industry analysts said moving 1α production to Virginia effectively creates a dedicated manufacturing line for DDR4 and LPDDR4 products without competing directly with Micron’s AI-focused memory production.

The Manassas expansion is part of Micron’s broader $200 billion U.S. investment strategy. The company also plans to eventually add HBM advanced packaging capabilities in Virginia as domestic DRAM wafer capacity continues to grow.