Near Field Notes

Note 9LogisticsRev 1Watch the video · 0:18

Chip journeys

Where does a chip travel before it reaches your board?

Often to another continent and back. TI makes the INA240’s wafers in Richardson, Texas, 61 km from Mouser. They are packaged and tested in Kuala Lumpur, so the chip travels about 31,100 km to reach that shelf.

The INA240’s trip

From the wafer fab to Mouser

61 kmfrom the fab to Mouser, in a straight line15,550 kmto Kuala Lumpur, to be packaged and tested31,100 kmfab to Mouser, by way of Kuala LumpurFab and MouserTexas, 61 km apartFab and MouserTexas, 61 km apartKuala LumpurPackaged and testedFab and MouserTexas, 61 km apartKuala LumpurPackaged and tested61 kmfrom the fab to Mouser, in a straight line15,550 kmto Kuala Lumpur, to be packaged and tested31,100 kmfab to Mouser, by way of Kuala LumpurFab and MouserTexas, 61 km apartFab and MouserTexas, 61 km apartKuala LumpurPackaged and testedFab and MouserTexas, 61 km apartKuala LumpurPackaged and tested61 kmfrom the fab to Mouser, in a straight line15,550 kmto Kuala Lumpur, to be packaged and tested31,100 kmfab to Mouser, by way of Kuala LumpurFab and MouserTexas, 61 km apartFab and MouserTexas, 61 km apartKuala LumpurPackaged and testedFab and MouserTexas, 61 km apartKuala LumpurPackaged and tested
  • Factory
  • Distributor
  • Flight

Great-circle distance, stop to stop. One documented route. TI also makes these wafers in South Portland, Maine.

A chip’s two factories

TI’s INA240 current-sense amp

A chip is made in two factories. A wafer fab builds the circuit many times over on a silicon wafer, layer by layer, and probes each copy. An assembly and test site then cuts the wafer apart, puts each die in a package and tests it again. For the INA240 those two sites are 15,550 km apart.

What each factory makes
Fig. 9Flown 15,550 kmWafer fabRichardson, TexasAssembly and testKuala LumpurFig. 9Flown 15,550 kmWafer fabRichardson, TexasAssembly and testKuala LumpurFig. 9Flown 15,550 kmWafer fabRichardson, TexasAssembly and testKuala Lumpur

Not to scale. The package is drawn see-through to show the die inside.

The trip, stop by stop

TI’s INA240

Getting from stop to stop takes 7 to 17 days. Chips are light and costly, so they fly: about 90% of Malaysia’s chip exports go by air. The two factories take 71 to 129 days.

The stops, to time
  • In a factory
  • Moving
Fig. 9b0306090 daysRichardson, TexasWafer fab and probe57–87 daysFlight, 15,550 km3–7 daysKuala Lumpur, MalaysiaAssembly and test14–42 daysFlight, 15,570 km4–10 daysMansfield, TexasMouser, on the shelfFig. 9b0306090 daysRichardson, TexasWafer fab and probe57–87 daysFlight, 15,550 km3–7 daysKuala Lumpur, MalaysiaAssembly and test14–42 daysFlight, 15,570 km4–10 daysMansfield, TexasMouser, on the shelfFig. 9b0306090 daysRichardson, TexasWafer fab and probe57–87 daysFlight, 15,550 km3–7 daysKuala Lumpur, MalaysiaAssembly and test14–42 daysFlight, 15,570 km4–10 daysMansfield, TexasMouser, on the shelf

Days at each stop and on each leg. Dark is the low estimate, light runs to the high one.

Six chips, six trips

One documented route each

The INA240 is not unusual. Here are five more chips, from the RAM on a Raspberry Pi 5 to an NVIDIA GPU. Each follows one documented route from wafer to shelf, and each travels more than 15,000 km. Pick one to follow it.

Chip
Chip journeys

The Pi 5’s RAM travels 16,200 km

Micron LPDDR4X on the 8 GB Raspberry Pi 5

  • Factory
  • Last stop
  • Flight
  • Truck
1, 3212312–45, 6123412, 341, 3241, 3212312–456123412, 3412341, 3212312–456123412, 341234
Distance
16,200 km
In factories
91–150 days
Moving
7–15 days
  1. 1Richardson, Texas TI’s RFABWafer fab and probe57–87 daysEstimate
  2. Flight to Kuala Lumpur, 15,550 km3–7 daysIndustry figure
  3. 2Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia TI MalaysiaAssembly and test14–42 daysEstimate
  4. Flight to Mansfield, 15,570 km4–10 daysIndustry figure
  5. 3Mansfield, Texas MouserOn the shelf
  1. 1Taichung, Taiwan MicronWafer fab, probe, assembly and test91–147 daysEstimate
  2. Flight to Pencoed, 9,980 km3–7 daysEstimate
  3. 2Pencoed, Wales Sony UK Technology CenterBuilt onto Pi 5 boardsUp to 3 daysEstimate
  4. Flight to Thief River Falls, 6,200 km4–8 daysCompany figure
  5. 3Thief River Falls, Minnesota DigiKeyOn the shelf
  1. 1Phoenix, Arizona TSMC ArizonaWafer fab and probe87–126 daysEstimate
  2. Flight to Tainan, 11,600 km3–7 daysIndustry figure
  3. 2Tainan, Taiwan TSMC AP2Micro-bumps added5–14 daysEstimate
  4. Truck to Zhunan, 190 kmUp to 1 dayEstimate
  5. 3Zhunan, Taiwan TSMC AP6CoWoS-L packaging28–56 daysEstimate
  6. Truck to Tongluo, 30 kmUp to 1 dayEstimate
  7. 4Tongluo, Taiwan KYECTest and burn-in7–21 daysEstimate
  8. Flight to Fort Worth, 12,460 km2–6 daysIndustry figure
  9. 5Fort Worth, Texas WistronBuilt onto GB300 boards7–14 daysEstimate
  10. Truck to Memphis, 710 km1–3 daysEstimate
  11. 6Memphis, Tennessee xAI’s Colossus 2, as an exampleIn a data center
  1. 1Ang Mo Kio, Singapore STWafer fab and probe22–36 daysEstimate
  2. Flight to Bouskoura, 11,900 km3–7 daysEstimate
  3. 2Bouskoura, Morocco STAssembly and test14–42 daysEstimate
  4. Flight to Carson, 9,600 km3–7 daysEstimate
  5. 3Carson, California ST’s Los Angeles hubPasses through
  6. Truck to Thief River Falls, 2,420 km3–6 daysEstimate
  7. 4Thief River Falls, Minnesota DigiKeyOn the shelf
  1. 1Villach, Austria InfineonWafer fab and probe22–45 daysEstimate
  2. Flight to Melaka, 9,700 km3–7 daysEstimate
  3. 2Melaka, Malaysia InfineonAssembly and test14–42 daysEstimate
  4. Truck to Singapore, 210 km1–2 daysEstimate
  5. 3Singapore Infineon’s hubPasses through
  6. Flight to Mansfield, 15,650 km3–8 daysCompany figure
  7. 4Mansfield, Texas MouserOn the shelf
  1. 1Hsinchu, Taiwan TSMC, site not publicWafers, order to delivery84–98 daysMaker’s figure
  2. Flight to Chengdu, 1,810 km2–5 daysEstimate
  3. 2Chengdu, China UnisemPackaging and test28–42 daysMaker’s figure
  4. Truck to Danyang, 1,500 km2–4 daysEstimate
  5. 3Danyang, China FulianBuilt into WROOM modules21–28 daysMaker’s figure
  6. Flight to Mansfield, 11,860 km5–10 daysEstimate
  7. 4Mansfield, Texas MouserOn the shelf

Numbers on the map match the list. Each time is labeled with where it comes from: the maker’s own figure, a company figure, an industry figure or our estimate.

Where the time goes

Wafer start to shelf

Side by side, the six trips split the same way. A fab builds a wafer one layer at a time, at 1 to 1.5 days per layer. A finished wafer takes about 12 weeks, and up to 20 on advanced processes. A simple one like the L298N’s, with about 10 layers, takes about a month. Assembly and test can add 6 weeks more.

Six chips
  • In factories
  • Moving
Fig. 9c060120180240 daysTI INA24071–129 d7–17 dMicron LPDDR4X91–150 d7–15 dNVIDIA B300134–231 d6–18 dST L298N36–78 d9–20 dInfineon IPT015N10N536–87 d7–17 dEspressif ESP32133–168 d9–19 dFig. 9c060120180240 daysTI INA240 current-sense amp71–129 d7–17 dMicron LPDDR4X on the 8 GB Raspberry Pi 591–150 d7–15 dNVIDIA B300 GPU, die path134–231 d6–18 dST L298N dual H-bridge36–78 d9–20 dInfineon IPT015N10N5 100 V MOSFET36–87 d7–17 dEspressif ESP32 in a WROOM-32E module133–168 d9–19 dFig. 9c060120180240 daysTI INA240 current-sense amp71–129 d7–17 dMicron LPDDR4X on the 8 GB Raspberry Pi 591–150 d7–15 dNVIDIA B300 GPU, die path134–231 d6–18 dST L298N dual H-bridge36–78 d9–20 dInfineon IPT015N10N5 100 V MOSFET36–87 d7–17 dEspressif ESP32 in a WROOM-32E module133–168 d9–19 d

Days from wafer start to the shelf on one documented route each. Dark is the low estimate, light runs to the high one.

216

One package, four countries

NVIDIA B300

The B300 spends the longest in factories, and it stops at the most of them: five, with three in Taiwan. Its memory and substrate fly in to meet the die there.

The B300 comes together
  • The GPU die
  • Parts flown in
Fig. 9dZhunanPackaged, CoWoS-LTongluoTested and burned inTainanMicro-bumps addedIcheonHBM3E stacksOnoSubstrateFrom PhoenixTo Fort WorthFig. 9dZhunanPackaged, CoWoS-LTongluoTested and burned inTainanMicro-bumps addedIcheonHBM3E stacksOnoSubstrateFrom PhoenixTo Fort WorthFig. 9dZhunanPackaged, CoWoS-LTongluoTested and burned inTainanMicro-bumps addedIcheonHBM3E stacksOnoSubstrateFrom PhoenixTo Fort Worth

One documented route, for a die made in Arizona. TSMC also makes these wafers in Taiwan.

218

Where was yours made?

Infineon’s IPT015N10N5

Every chip on this page follows one documented route. Most parts can come from more than one fab and more than one back end, so the reel on your bench may have come another way. Infineon has qualified six routes for this one MOSFET.

One part number, six routes
Fig. 9eWafer fabAssembly and testVillach, 200 mmLot code VEVillach, 300 mmLot code VFDresden, 300 mmLot code ZFMelakaTongfuFig. 9eWafer fabAssembly and testVillach, Austria, 200 mmLot code VEVillach, Austria, 300 mmLot code VFDresden, Germany, 300 mmLot code ZFMelaka, MalaysiaTongfu, ChinaFig. 9eWafer fabAssembly and testVillach, Austria, 200 mmLot code VEVillach, Austria, 300 mmLot code VFDresden, Germany, 300 mmLot code ZFMelaka, MalaysiaTongfu, China

The wafer lines and back ends Infineon has qualified for this 100 V MOSFET. The wafer lot number on the reel’s label starts with its line’s code.

220

Key to chip journeys

Where was my chip made?

  1. 1aThe lot code on the reel or the marking on the partThe fab that made yours, or its country
  2. 1bThe maker’s change notices for the part numberEvery site it can come from
  3. 1cThe distributor’s listingThe countries only

Micron prints the wafer fab’s and the assembly site’s countries in its markings. The 3IC77 on a 2023 Pi 5’s RAM reads Taiwan for both.

221

Conditions

Routes
One documented route per part, from the makers’ change notices, filings and distributor listings
Distance
Great circle, stop to stop, on a 6,371 km sphere. Real flights and trucks go farther.
Times
Days at each stop and on each leg, as a low and a high estimate
Evidence
Maker’s figure: the maker gives it for this part. Company figure: the company gives it for this step. Industry figure: typical published times. Estimate: our arithmetic from those.
Checked
26 Oct 2026
Map
Natural Earth land, 1:110m and 1:50m

Sourced, not tracked. Every site comes from a public source, and most times are estimates.

Limits

  • Most parts have more than one qualified fab and back end. Your reel may have come another way.
  • Only Espressif publishes its own times. Every other time here is an industry figure, a company figure or our estimate.
  • The B300’s route ends at xAI’s Colossus 2 as an example of a GB300 site. No source ties these boards to it.

Files

  • data/routes.pyEvery stop, leg and time range, with its evidence
  • research/The sources behind each chip, stop by stop

Sources

Like this note?

Rev 1 ·
  1. Rev 1First published

Each fix gets a line here, with the reader's name if they want credit.

Did it answer your question?

Want more on this?

Report a problem

What should the next note be? Ask for one