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MClayton
I think everyone is missing the NY State advantage of IBM support in technology, ...
Jack.L
There is a big difference between building, running, and keeping advancements up ...
Reports: Globalfoundries hints at $10-billion fab location
Peter Clarke
1/11/2013 6:25 AM EST
LONDON – Foundry chip maker Globalfoundries Inc. is planning to invest $10 billion in a next-generation wafer fab possibly next to its existing Fab 8 in upstate New York, according to local reports quoting CEO Ajit Manocha.
Manocha was speaking Thursday (Jan. 10) at the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering at the University of Albany. Manocha said that the previously announced creation of a $2-billion R&D center next to Globalfoundries' Fab 8 in Malta, New York, will bring the company closer to investing $10 billion in a next-generation wafer fab, the reports said.
In his speech Manocha referred to the existing fab as Fab 8.1 and said that Globalfoundries (Milpitas, Calif.) is committed to New York state and would move ahead with Fab 8.2 when the company is ready, according to an Albany Times Union report.
The recently-announced $2-billion Technology Development Center (TDC) is intended to support manufacturing process node transition and R&D around interconnect and packaging for the 3-D stacking of chips, advanced mask-making and the use of extreme ultraviolet lithography. Construction is expected to start early in 2013 and be completed late in 2014. The spending will bring the total capital investment at the Fab 8 campus to more than $8 billion and direct employment up to about 3,000 people.
If Manocha is planning to put Globalfoundries' next fab in New York, the idea seems to be replacing the possibility of building a fab in Abu Dhabi, the home of Globalfoundries' owner Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC), which is a vehicle of an Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund.
A plan to build a fab in Abu Dhabi that could start operation in 2015 was put on hold late in 2011. It is also remains unclear how Globalfoundries would fund a $10 billion investment. The company has been set a goal of achieving profitability by 2015 by ATIC. Along profitability came the goal that Globalfoundries from then on would be self-sustaining and not require additional funding from its parent.
Related links and articles:
Albany Times Union article
Business Review article
Globalfoundries plans New York R&D center
Globalfoundries eyes future IPO
Globalfoundries' Abu Dhabi wafer fab postponed, says report
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SKYHAWK
1/11/2013 7:24 PM EST
another fab in the sky dream for GF. They are loosing about 30 million a quarter, most of their 8 inch fabs are half or not full. Nobody is buying into the 28nm gate first process. ATIC wants out of this asap, pushing them to go IPO in 2014. So now they are building two fabs worth 12 billion??? Must be the new math.
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Kulim
1/17/2013 5:35 PM EST
Time for Goldman to spin the IPO and get a bunch of mutual funds to sign up. Then transfer the wins to ATIC and the loses to anyone who will believe Goldman.
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the_floating_ gate
1/12/2013 12:39 AM EST
What is GF's exposure to AMD?
70% ...80% of total sales ?
GF is NOT a foundry in the sense of TSMC - it's the ex AMD (IDM) manufacturing operation - now called "foundry".
To make matters worse AMD pays GF money to get out of contracts while still procuring wafers from TSMC....
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yalanand
1/13/2013 6:39 AM EST
@the_floating_gate, any particular reason why AMD procures wafers from TSMC ? Can't it procure the wafers from GF ?
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Kresearch
1/14/2013 4:58 AM EST
Of cause, it is cost and effective capacity. GF got yield far out of expectation. So, if you are AMD executive, what will you do to keep survive?
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yalanand
1/13/2013 6:40 AM EST
Good to see manufacturing units are brought back into USA, this will definitely improve the employment scenario in US.
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Bentaru
1/14/2013 4:33 PM EST
It make more sense to built it in Dresden where they have their best expertise not in NY!!
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GoGoGeek
1/16/2013 2:21 PM EST
Is this a misquote?
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Kulim
1/17/2013 3:21 PM EST
GF will lose $$$ billions more in NY. Might as well lose the money in Abu Dhabi and get the Emiratis some real experience with this industry. Every year delayed is another year without progress and additional billions spent / lost in foreign lands. Get some top expats & partner with Emirati, with few exceptions after 5 years expat goes home & Emirati runs the show.
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Jack.L
1/19/2013 12:33 PM EST
There is a big difference between building, running, and keeping advancements up on a leading edge FAB versus many other industries. 5 years is not nearly enough to develop enough indiginous knoewledge for that to happen not to mention in 5 years it is becoming obsolete and who advances it to stay competitive?
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MClayton
1/19/2013 12:48 PM EST
I think everyone is missing the NY State advantage of IBM support in technology, as finfet's of all kinds evolve. These are automated factories, with automated design tools, and a few highly paid process integration engineers might prefer living in New England vs Abu Dhabi or Dresden. And they have Bay Area presence as well. Intel has proven that US is safer for manufacturing as long as its highly automated. Just my opinion.
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