FEB. 20–MOUNTAINTOP, Penn.–Fairchild Semiconductor will invest $143 million to expand its 8-inch wafer facility here.

The facility is dedicated to manufacturing power components — a segment worth nearly three-quarters of the company’s revenue.

The expansion includes refurbishing a 15,000 square-foot clean room and installing tooling and support systems to increase Fairchild’s production capacity, particularly for its discrete power line. Upon completion, the plant will be capable of producing 1,200 wafers per day

“Our bookings are running at their highest level in more than three years, and we want to ensure Fairchild has the capacity to meet this increased demand for power solutions,” Kirk Pond, Fairchild’s president, CEO and chairman, said in a statement. “Total power component sales now represent 72 percent of our revenue. By increasing our operational efficiency through modernizing our factories, increasing our capacity at Mountaintop, and ramping our new Suzhou, China assembly and test facility, we are well poised to meet increased end market demand.”

The move, which will create 320 new jobs over four years, also sees Fairchild partner with the State of Pennsylvania. The state has offered an Opportunity Grant financial package including an initial grant of $1 million over two fiscal years, training funds and an offer of low interest loans through the PA Industrial Development Authority, it was said.