GLOBALFOUNDRIES,
a leading provider of advanced semiconductor manufacturing technology, and Qualcomm
Incorporated, a leading developer and innovator of advanced wireless technologies,
products and services, today announced that they have entered into a non-binding
memorandum of understanding to collaborate on leading edge technologies.
Initially, GLOBALFOUNDRIES intends to provide Qualcomm with access to leading-edge
45nm Low Power (LP) and 28nm (LP) technologies with an intended collaboration
on future advanced process nodes.
“As our customers increasingly demand more performance, lower power,
functionality and portability in their mobile experiences, the need for a strong
manufacturing and technology foundation is more important than ever before,”
said Jim Clifford, senior vice president and general manager of operations,
Qualcomm CDMA Technologies. “With its manufacturing capacity and technology
roadmap, GLOBALFOUNDRIES is well positioned to help us enable the next generation
of wireless innovation.”
Qualcomm’s Integrated Fabless Manufacturing (IFM) model builds tight
technical interfaces among all parties in the semiconductor development cycle,
delivering greater efficiency, lower costs and quicker time to market for new
products. A crucial component of the Qualcomm’s IFM strategy is a multi-foundry
approach, which helps assure product supply to Qualcomm’s device manufacturing
customers and provides the Company flexibility to meet rapidly changing demands.
The IFM model is designed to accelerate Qualcomm’s technology execution
and to meet the exponential growth expected in the wireless semiconductor market.
The intended relationship with GLOBALFOUNDRIES will focus on Qualcomm’s
wireless businesses and provide technologies for handheld products that operate
on the CDMA2000®, WCDMA and 4G/LTE cellular standards, including the emerging
smartbook device segment. Both companies anticipate that GLOBALFOUNDRIES will
begin accepting Qualcomm designs at Fab 1 in Dresden in 2010.
“As one of the largest and most successful semiconductor design companies
in the world, Qualcomm needs access to the industry’s most advanced technologies
along with the ability to rapidly bring them to market,” said Douglas
Grose, chief executive officer, GLOBALFOUNDRIES. “By bringing the benefits
of a leading-edge IDM model to the foundry world, we provide customers with
the fastest option to get advanced products to market in volume and at mature
yield. We’re pleased to have an opportunity to collaborate with a market
leader like Qualcomm as they enable new classes of wireless products and technologies
for the future.”
In addition to advanced technology nodes, the two companies intend to explore
other areas to collaborate on such as die-package interaction and 3D packaging
technologies.