GlobalFoundries announced that it will build an advanced packaging and testing facility at its Malta, New York fab to support the growing demand for silicon built entirely within the United States. GlobalFoundries said that this extension will also provide assembly and testing for silicon photonics, a tech that combines optical and electrical components to deliver better efficiency and performance than chips that rely just on silicon and copper.
This facility is projected to cost $575 million to construct, and GlobalFoundries needs another $186 million for research and development costs over the next decade. However, New York state will provide up to $20 million to support this project, which is in addition to the $550 million it has already spent to support GlobalFoundries. The U.S. Department of Commerce will also give $75 million in direct funding in addition to the $1.5 billion it received from the CHIPS and Science Act.
“We’re proud to partner at the state and federal level on this new center, which is a direct response to our customers asking for more geodiversity in their supply chains and additional support with advanced packaging solutions for GF silicon photonics, Trusted, and 3D/HI offerings,” says Global Foundries CEO and President Dr. Thomas Caulfield. “The New York Advanced Packaging and Photonics Center will be unique in our industry and will play a vital role in the continued growth of the Empire State’s world-class semiconductor manufacturing and innovation ecosystem.”
The construction of an advanced packaging facility within the United States is crucial for the country’s target of silicon independence. Currently, most of these activities happen in Asia; for example, TSMC is already producing 4nm chips at its Arizona fab, but it still needs to ship them back to Amkor in Taiwan for packaging until the latter completes its own nearby facility.
A GlobalFoundries packaging facility in New York helps ensure chip security because the silicon wafers never leave American borders. More importantly, it is an American company and a trusted U.S. Department of Defense supplier. This makes it a great candidate for producing the advanced chips that the U.S. military needs to maintain global technological supremacy.