Qualcomm in deal with GlobalFoundries

SAN JOSE, USA: Qualcomm Incorporated, based in San Diego, California, the United States, has expanded its foundry activities by entering into a deal with GlobalFoundries Incorporated.

GlobalFoundries, headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, the United States, had earlier announced that it intends to offer Qualcomm access to 45-nm low-power and 28-nm foundry technologies, along with a planned collaboration on future advanced process nodes.

According to the deal, Qualcomm will give GlobalFoundries technologies for hand-held products that operate on the CDMA2000, WCDMA and 4G/LTE cellular standards – including the smartbook device sector.

In a statement, Qualcomm Incorporated said it is expected that GlobalFoundries will start accepting Qualcomm designs at Fab 1, based in Dresden, Germany, in 2010.

Apart from advanced technology nodes, both Qualcomm and GlobalFoundries have proposed to explore and collaborate in other areas like 3D packaging and die-package interaction technologies.

The fabless chipmaker Qualcomm uses what is known as the integrated fabless manufacturing (IFM) model. Qualcomm says that a component of its IFM strategy is a multi-foundry approach that helps ensure product supply to the company’s device-making customers.

The foundry partners of Qualcomm Incorporated include IBM, TSMC, Samsung, and SMIC. Qualcomm had expanded its foundry list in 2006 by adding the Taiwan-based Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Private Limited.

Both Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing and GlobalFoundries are present owned by the same company.