Oregon Public Broadcasting

Intel announced Tuesday that it will spend more money than ever before on installing new technology in three factories. Kristian Foden-Vencil reports.

Despite a sharp downturn in its profits, the world’s biggest chip maker says it will spend $7 billion over the next couple of years on factories in Oregon, Arizona and New Mexico.

They will be outfitted to produce smaller, faster chips built with transmitters as small as 32-nanometers wide.

The most advanced chips currently use transmitters 42-nanometers wide – 2,000 of which fit across the width of a human hair.

The announcement means Intel’s presence in Hillsboro will remain strong, despite news last month that it’s shutting a factory in Ronler Acres.

The investment does not necessarily mean lots of new jobs. The money will be spent on expensive new machinery and the 7000 "high-wage high-skill" jobs already at Intel plants.