GlobalFoundries To Invest $16 Billion In Fabs & Packaging
The investments are in response to the explosive growth in AI, data centers and other markets.
By Mark LaPedus
GlobalFoundries (GF) plans to invest $16 billion to expand its semiconductor manufacturing and advanced packaging capabilities across its facilities in New York and Vermont.
GF’s investment builds upon the company’s existing U.S. expansion plans, including more than $13 billion to expand and modernize its New York and Vermont fabs and funding for its recently launched New York Advanced Packaging and Photonics Center.
The world’s fifth largest foundry vendor is committing an additional $3 billion, which includes advanced research and development initiatives focused on packaging, silicon photonics and gallium nitride (GaN) technologies. In aggregate, these investments represent a $16 billion plan.
The company is working with the Trump administration, along with support from leading technology companies, to reshore various critical components. For this, GF is collaborating with its existing foundry customers, such as Apple, SpaceX, AMD, Qualcomm, NXP and GM. These companies are committed to expand their production of semiconductors in the U.S.
To date, GF has four global manufacturing sites located in the U.S. (Malta, N.Y. and Essex Junction, Vt.); Dresden, Germany; and Singapore.
The company’s most advanced process is a 16nm/12nm finFET technology. It also offers processes at 22nm and above. The company also provides a 22nm FD-SOI process.
GF doesn’t compete in the leading-edge foundry business. In 2018, the company halted the development of its 7nm process. At the time, the company decided to focus on more mature processes, namely the 16nm/12nm node and above.