GLOBALFOUNDRIES Technology Conference 2019

This week was the GLOBALFOUNDRIES Technology Conference, GTC 2019, in Santa Clara. It was the 10th anniversary of GF, which was created on ... AllBlogCategories BreakfastBytes CadenceAcademicNetwork CadenceSupport ComputationalFluidDynamics CFD（数値流体力学) 中文技术专区 CustomICDesign カスタムIC／ミックスシグナル 定制IC芯片设计 DigitalImplementation FunctionalVerification ICPackagingandSiPDesign LifeatCadence Mixed-SignalDesign PCBDesign PCB設計／ICパッケージ設計 PCB、IC封装：设计与仿真分析 PCB解析／ICパッケージ解析 RFDesign RF/マイクロ波設計 SignalandPowerIntegrity(PCB/ICPackaging) SiliconSignoff Solutions SpotlightTaiwan SystemDesignandVerification TensilicaandDesignIP TheIndiaCircuit WhiteboardWednesdays Archive CadenceontheBeat IndustryInsights LogicDesign LowPower TheDesignChronicles PaulMcLellan 3Oct2019 GLOBALFOUNDRIESTechnologyConference2019 ThisweekwastheGLOBALFOUNDRIESTechnologyConference,GTC2019,inSantaClara.Itwasthe10thanniversaryofGF,whichwascreatedonMarch4,2009.itisalsoalmostexactlyoneyearsincewhatGFcalls"thepivot",wheretheydecidedtoabandonthe"single-digitnanometerwars". History:FoundingtothePivot HereisashortsummaryofwhereGFistodayandhowtheygothere.GFwasoriginallycreatedin2009byspinningoutthemanufacturingfromAMD,whichcamewithFab1inDresden,Germany.TheyacquiredfoundryCharteredSemiconductorlaterthatyear,alongwithseveralfabslocatedinSingapore.In2015,theyacquiredIBM'ssemiconductorbusiness,alongwithfabsinBurlington,VermontandEastFishkill,NewYork.Theybuiltagreen-fieldfab(fab8)inMalta,NewYork.Afterthepivotlastyear,theyrationalizedtheirmanufacturingfacilities.Theysoldtheirsmallerfabs,mostlyusedforMEMS,inSingaporetoVanguardInternationalSemiconductor(VIS).TheyagreedtoselltheirEastFishkillfab(fab10)toONsemiconductor,witha3-yeartransitionplantograduallymovethebusinesstheymakethereintoFab8,alongwiththetrustedfoundrycertification(sotheycanmanufacturefortheUSgovernment).Fab9(Burlington)isalsoacertifiedtrustedfoundry.Lastyear,theyspunouttheirASICdesignbusinessintoasubsidiaryAvera,andthenthisyearsoldAveratoMarvell. Sothatleavesthemwith: Fab1,300mminDresden Fab7,300mmin Singapore Fab8,300mminMalta Fab9,200mminBurlington "GigaFab"whichIthinkaretheremaining200mmfabsthattheykeptinSingapore Afterthepivot,GFabandonedplansforprocessesbelow12nm,inparticular,theystoppedthedevelopmentofa7nmprocessandreturnedtheirEUVsteppers.Theythentookthe$20Mpermonththeywereinvestingin7nmandusedsomeofittoinvestinspecialtyprocesses. Isitworking?Inthepressandanalystlunch,Tomsaidthat: forthefirsttimeintenyearswehavepositivecash-flow.Andnotjustadollar.Weare$6Binrevenueandhadapositivecash-flowof$550M.Thatdoesn'tincludethetransactions. Hewasaskedifthiswaspublicinformation."Itisnow,"hesaid.Whenhewasaskediftheywoulddosomethingonamoreformalbasistomakethenumberspublic(asaprivatecompanytheydon'thaveto)hesaid"firstandforemostitisimportantthatourcustomersknowhowwearedoing.” Thebigmotivationforthepivotwasthattheywerenotatascaletobecompetitiveattheleadingedge."OurcompetitionhasaCapExbudgetbiggerthanourrevenue."Theyalsorealizedthatbygivinguponprocessesbelow12nm,theyweregivingup25%ofthemarket,butkeeping75%where,theyfelt,withamorefocusedinvestmenttheywouldbeverycompetitive.Or,asTomputit: Wefelttheworlddidn'tneed3companiesgoingto7nmandweweren'tatascaletogetareturnonthat. Itjustdidn’tmakesense, andweneededtoconvince  ourselveswecouldbeawinnerastheworld’sbiggestandbestspecialtyfoundry.Ihavemoreconvictionnow.Moore’sLawscalingisdyiing,and12nmisthelastplatformtointegratefeatureson. Thatlastsentenceisanacknowledgmentthatincreasinglyintegrationusingchiplettechnologiesisthewayofthefuture.BasedonmanyofthepresentationsattherecentHOTCHIPS,whichIdescribedinmypostHOTCHIPS:ChipletifyingDesigns,itcertainlylooksthatwayformanyofthehighestperformancedesigns.  GFToday Inhisopeningkeynoteinthemainsession,titledTheFutureofInnovation,Tomputthebusinessinperspective: GlobalGDPis$85T Electronicsis$2T Semiconductoris$475B Foundryis$63B Therearejust5foundriesatscalesupportingglobalGDP TomfocusedinonwhathecallsAIM(auto,industrial,andmulti-market),computingandwiredinfrastructure,andmobileandwirelessinfrastructure.Later,inhispresentation,BamiBastanisizedthis3markets(at12nmandabove)as$24BforAIM,$15Bforcomputingandwired,and$8Bformobileandwireless,addinguptothe$47Brepresenting75%ofthe$63Bfoundrymarket. Infactjustthatmorning,GFhadputoutapressreleaseannouncingthattheyhadhiredMikeHogantoleadtheAIMbusinessunit.HejoinsBamiBastaniwhoheadsupthecomputingandwiredbusinessuint,andMikeMendicinowhoheadsupthemobileandwirelessbusinessunit. TomshowedthatGFcangrow1.4XtheircurrentsizeonthecurrentfootprintofthefabsIlistedabove.Theycangrowwaferstartsfrom2.3Mto3Mandrevenuefrom$6Bto$8Bwithoutneedingtobuildanyfabs,justmoveinmoreequipment.Thediagrambelowshowstheheadroom: InsteadofinnovatingbysimplyscalinginaracetokeepupwithMoore'sLaw,GFisdoingthatTomcalls"platforminnovation",whichiscombiningtheirbasicprocessplatformswithspecialapplicationfeaturesandspecializedIP. Hemultipliedthenumbersouttogetto10softhousandsofspecializedapplicationsolutions. Hewentontogivesomeexamples: 12nmFinFETwithLVSRAMbitcelland2.5DinterposerwithanAIreferencepackagetodeliver12LP+datacenterAI 45nmwithpower-amplifierFET,high-performanceswitch,andNLAwith1.0Vdigitaltogive45RFSOI5GmmWaveREM 22FDXwithRFmmWaveAutoProtogive22FDX-RFADASRadar Later,inhispresentation,GreggBartlettfilledoutthedetails: MikeCadigangavesomemorestatisticsonthescaleoftheoperationtosupportallthesecombinationsandthedesignsthatresult: Use2000masksetsperyear Haveover100ecosystempartners Deliverover300PDKreleasesperyear And,asIalreadysaid,2Mwafersperyear GTCinRestofWorld IfyouarenotintheUS,therearethreeupcomingGTCevents: October11inMunich(intheParkHilton) October24inShanghai(intheKerryHotel) November5inTaiwan(intheSheratonHsinchu) Tags: GTC| GlobalFoundries| FD-SOI|