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EMD Electronics, the North America electronics business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, announced the opening of a new 38,000-square-foot research and development facility at its Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin site, expanding the company’s ability to develop and scale advanced materials for next-generation semiconductor manufacturing.
As the semiconductor industry advances toward increasingly complex architectures, materials innovation is becoming increasingly critical to chip performance and scalability. The new facility provides dedicated capabilities for synthesis, scale-up and technology transfer, helping EMD Electronics work more closely with customers to accelerate new materials.
“The semiconductor industry is entering a period where integrated workflow solutions play a defining role in enabling the next generation of devices, particularly as AI drives increasing complexity and performance requirements,” said Bing Han, Executive Vice President and Head of Thin Films at EMD Electronics. “Materials innovation remains at the core of that transformation, but success increasingly depends on combining materials discovery, process expertise, and scale-up capabilities. This new facility brings together the capabilities needed to work alongside our customers on their most complex materials challenges and accelerate innovation from the lab to commercial production.”
The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) is collaborating with EMD Electronics to support this expansion and advance investment and job creation in Wisconsin.
“EMD Electronics’ continued investment in Sheboygan Falls demonstrates the important role Wisconsin’s skilled workforce and strong manufacturing foundation can play in the future of the semiconductor industry,” said John W. Miller, secretary and CEO of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC). “This R&D facility brings advanced research and development capabilities to our state, creates opportunities for highly skilled jobs and strengthens Wisconsin’s position as a place where global companies can develop and scale the technologies of the future.”
The new facility introduces eight purpose-built laboratories supporting the product development lifecycle, including discovery, development, qualification, analytical development, purification, packaging and hazard testing to EMD Electronics’ global footprint. By bringing R&D, scale-up and technology transfer capabilities together at the Sheboygan Falls site, EMD Electronics can collaborate more closely with customers and respond more quickly to evolving technology roadmaps and local customer requirements.
The facility was also designed to expand EMD Electronics’ research capabilities while reducing its environmental footprint and is among its pioneering laboratories powered by renewable energy. The company aims to meet LEED Gold certification with this new facility.
The new R&D facility is part of EMD Electronics’ multi-year investment in its U.S. footprint. This $200 million investment supports its semiconductor capabilities across three states, including a further expansion in Sheboygan Falls to be completed in 2027, as well as recent project completions in Carlsbad, California, and Catoosa, Oklahoma. Overall, the investment is part of the company’s $1 billion 5-year investment program to strengthen its innovation and manufacturing capabilities in the United States, which was announced in 2021.
