Globalfoundries plans ecosystem of tech partners

MUNICH: Globalfoundries is trying to create an ecosystem of technology partners like research institutes and IP vendors, including ARM.

Shareholder of Chartered Semiconductors had recently approved the company to be bought by ATIC and eventually to be integrated into the Globalfoundries group.

According to Udo Nothelfer, Globalfoundries’ vice-president and general manager for the firm’s fab 1 in Dresden, Germany, steps for an “integrated operation” has been planned to be implemented by the end of 2009.

Nothelfer said that while he considered the relationship with Chartered Semiconductors s as “extremely symbiotic,” total homogenization of business activities and production process has not been planned. There will be, he added, some overlap, and the integration of Chartered Semiconductors will give Globalfoundries a certain amount of backup in production capacity.

At present, Globalfoundries is getting ready to increase its production of 32nm SOI for AMD microprocessors. The company is already considering the 28nm node for bulk silicon.

Nothelfer said that the company has learned from its customers that the 32nm bulk will not really be a foundry node. Even though Nothelfer did not give out a time-frame, he said the 28nm node could be very much relevant for the production of graphics processors (GPUs) for ATI, the subsidiary of processor vendor AMD.

Globalfoundries is striving to build up the IP ecosystem that it needs to boost its customer offerings.