Having dropped out of the race for modern manufacturing applied sciences with a view to deal with specialty fabrication processes, GlobalFoundries has pinned some large hopes in manufacturing RF-SOI chips for numerous 5G purposes, in addition to FD-SOI chips for low-power gadgets. This week the corporate signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with GlobalWafers Co. (GWC) to develop a long-term provide contract for 300 mm SOI wafers, GloFo’s second long-term SOI wafers provide settlement (WSA) in lower than a yr.
Once primarily used to construct modern processors, silicon-on-insulator (SOI) know-how is used immediately for all kinds of purposes, together with people who want an ultra-low energy consumption (SoCs and MCUs for IoT purposes), excessive voltages (analog/blended sign), or excessive resistivity (4G and 5G front-end modules [FEMs] for smartphones). All of those are made utilizing so-called specialty manufacturing applied sciences, and to that finish they’re of great curiosity for GlobalFoundries. Meanwhile, contemplating the rise of 5G and IoT, RF-SOI and FD-SOI are essentially the most promising applied sciences in the case of producing the required chips in excessive volumes.
Nowadays, GlobalFoundries operates seven fabs: 4 300-mm fabs (together with the Fab 10 in East Fishkill, New York) and three 200-mm fabs. The firm’s largest 300-mm Fab, Fab 1, is used solely to make SOI merchandise, Fab 7 in Singapore makes use of each bulk and SOI applied sciences, and Fab 10 can even course of wafers utilizing SOI-based processes. In addition, GlobalFoundries is constructing one other 300-mm fab in Chengdu, China, which can even be used to make chips utilizing its 22FDX know-how. Finally, the foundry’s 200-mm amenities can all use SOI wafers as nicely.
Being the biggest client of SOI wafers on this planet, GlobalFoundries sources 200-mm and 300-mm substrates from each Soitec, the world’s largest producer of SOI wafers, in addition to GlobalWafers Co. In truth, in simply the final yr GloFo and Soitec signed a multi-year 300-mm SOI wafer provide settlement, which builds upon a WSA signed in 2017. As it seems, GlobalFoundries wants much more 300-mm SOI wafers for its superior RF SOI applied sciences, so the corporate goes so far as agreeing to assist GWC ‘significantly expand’ its SOI wafer manufacturing capability as a part of the brand new contract.
GlobalFoundries, Soitec, and GlobalWafers Co. naturally don’t disclose what number of wafers are consumed by the chip maker. Regardless, it seems like we’re speaking a few important enlargement of SOI utilization at GlobalFoundries.
Bami Bastani, senior vice chairman for cell and wi-fi infrastructure at GlobalFoundries:
“Mobile, wireless, and 5G represent a significant opportunity for GlobalFoundries, and our vital RF technology is featured in more than 85% of smartphones on the market today. We are pleased to collaborate with GlobalWafers, and look forward to working with them to develop and qualify an additional supply of 300mm SOI wafers to integrate into our manufacturing processes and help meet the growing demand for our RF SOI solutions.”
Tom Weber, senior vice president and chief procurement officer at GlobalFoundries mentioned the next:
“Given our market position, it is in our best interest – and the best interest of our clients – to build out and diversify the supply chain for 300mm SOI wafers. GlobalWafers is the right partner for us to make this happen.”
Source: GlobalFoundries
