San Francisco, Dec 14 (IANS): As part of its $1 billion Advanced Manufacturing Fund to support innovation and job creation by American manufacturers, Apple has invested $390 million in optical communication component manufacturer Finisar whose technology has made the iPhone's Face ID feature viable.

The fund was awarded to increase the production of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs), which power Apple's new features such as Portrait mode selfies and Animoji, the company wrote in a blog.

The 700,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Sherman, Texas, that was closed in 2012, is expected to begin shipping its products in the second half of 2018 and its output will make Sherman the VCSEL capital of the US.

Finisar will soon start hiring 500 highly skilled workers and Bruce Armstrong, the caretaker who was born and raised there, is busy getting the building ready.

"It will be great to see people come back through the door. This means a lot for the Sherman area," Armstrong said.

One hundred per cent of the VCSELs sold to Apple from Finisar will be made in Texas. Consistent with Apple's commitment to the environment, the company intends to procure enough renewable energy to cover all of its Apple manufacturing in the US, the blog said.

According to Armstrong, this growth with Apple will mark a new beginning and a better future for the city.