Eckstein joins GlobalFoundries

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Chip executive Elke Eckstein has joined GlobalFoundries Inc.

''Elke is our new site lead and general manager for Fab 1 in Dresden,'' Germany, according to a spokesman for the U.S.-based silicon foundry vendor, in an e-mail.

Fab 1 represents one of the biggest international investments in Germany with a total investment to date of more than $6 billion, and about 2,700 employes. The 300-mm fab primarily makes processors for Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD).

''Elke takes over for KC Ang, who now moves back to his full time job of being responsible for our global 300-mm operations,'' the spokesman said. The company has 300-mm fabs at Dresden, Malta, N.Y., and Singapore.

She was previously the chief operating officer of Osram Opto Semiconductor. She joined them in 2008. She also had executive positions at Altis, AMD, among others.

As part of a new and complex transaction, AMD recently reduced its stake in GlobalFoundries from about 30 percent to 14 percent.

In the deal, Abu Dhabi's Advanced Technology Investment Co. (ATIC) now owns 86 percent of GlobalFoundries, a U.S.-based silicon foundry vendor. Previously, ATIC owned 70 percent. The ATIC is a specialist investment company created by the Government of Abu Dhabi to focus on investments in the advanced technology sector. ATIC’s sole shareholder is the Government of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

In 2009, the chip-manufacturing arm from AMD was spun off into a new foundry company. The foundry spinoff, GlobalFoundries, had been a joint venture between AMD and Abu Dhabi's ATIC. At the time, AMD moved to become a fabless chip maker.

In September, ATIC agreed to acquire Singapore-based Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. for a total of $3.9 billion. Chartered has been folded into GlobalFoundries.