Times Union: Samsung to run Globalfoundries R&D center

[mrmt]

http://www.timesunion.com/business/article/Fab-8-role-for-Samsung-4962153.php

South Korea's Samsung Electronics is expected to play a major role at GlobalFoundries' Fab 8 computer chip manufacturing complex.

Samsung, one of the largest maker of chips and devices for the smartphone market, will operate GlobalFoundries' $2 billion Technology Development Center, which is under construction and slated to be completed next year, various sources outside the company told the Times Union.

(...)

If this is true, this does not bode well for the state of GLF next nodes, but at least they are bringing people who know what they are doing to run the shop.

 

[Lonyo]

There are various partnerships already in operation for new nodes, so it sounds more like an advancement of a partnership than anything else.

http://www.commonplatform.com/about/

IBM, GLOBALFOUNDRIES and Samsung Electronics have developed a unique foundry model for the semiconductor marketplace that offers enhanced flexibility, portability, capacity and resources, while accelerating the rate of technological innovation. This model is enabled by the Common Platform technology collaboration, a working relationship between IBM, GLOBALFOUNDRIES and Samsung developed to implement a common process technology across the manufacturing facilities of all three companies. The model combines the strength of a vertically integrated approach similar to an IDM with the benefits of outsourcing services ranging from design through packaging.

At the heart of the Common Platform relationship is the bulk CMOS process technology that is jointly developed by IBM, GLOBALFOUNDRIES, and Samsung. This joint development began at the 90 nm process node and now extends to 65 nm, 45 nm , 32/28 nm and 20nm process technologies. Combined, there are currently hundreds of process development engineers from the three companies working together at Albany Nanotech and IBM's 300 mm fab in East Fishkill, New York.

Sounds like it's being extended from 20nm, but without IBM being quite so involved.
If anything it might say more about the future of IBM as a foundry.

 

[mrmt]

There are various partnerships already in operation for new nodes, so it sounds more like an advancement of a partnership than anything else.

Why would you bring people to operate your R&D center if your own guys are good enough to the task?

 

[bononos]

Why would you bring people to operate your R&D center if your own guys are good enough to the task?

Maybe the superfriends realized they needed to join forces to stay competitive with Intel.

 

[ShintaiDK]

Its obvious from GloFos history that node developments is something they have huge problems with. Sounds like outsourcing it is their only hope.

 

[Homeles]

Why would you bring people to operate your R&D center if your own guys are good enough to the task?

Why is that relevant?

 

[CHADBOGA]

Short term this is yet another example of the basketcase that is Global Floundries, but long term, Samsung is a company Intel has some reason to fear and it looks like Samsung are indeed ramping up their efforts.

 

[erunion]

Short term this is yet another example of the basketcase that is Global Floundries, but long term, Samsung is a company Intel has some reason to fear and it looks like Samsung are indeed ramping up their efforts.

I wonder what the details are. Is Samsung hitching themselves to a sinking ship?

 

[MisterMac]

I wonder what the details are. Is Samsung hitching themselves to a sinking ship?

If there's one thing Samsung management wouldn't do it - it's hitch itself to something not profitable.


Has to be some insights they're seeing - were not.
Like letting Apple sue them\foundry part - because internal phone profits soared to crazy stupid highs.

Ironicly i kinda logicly agree to the school of thought that - intel's biggest competitor longterm might be Samsung.

Nothing seems to be "allowed" to enter their turf while they themselves just keep expanding.

 

[CHADBOGA]

I wonder what the details are. Is Samsung hitching themselves to a sinking ship?

More likely they will buy that sinking ship in a year or two or three at a firesale price and turn it around.

 

[krumme]

More likely they will buy that sinking ship in a year or two or three at a firesale price and turn it around.

Samsung always looking at that

At the same time gf management was busy making cartoon ppts to mubadala about a future 2.5nm ft uber node.

And then...by pure chance the next node was on soi also and magically matched the new huge power hungry server cpu from ibm.

 

[jdubs03]

In the spirit of collaboration, the nanoscale college (of which one of my classmates graduated from) recently finished building an extension that the big five players (including Intel) will cooperate on advancing 450mm, part of the G450C program.

It should be interesting to see Samsung's involvement at Fab 8 however. The costs to scale down to single digit nm may cause some consolidation, so who knows maybe Samsung will buy Globalfoundries.

 

[ShintaiDK]

More likely they will buy that sinking ship in a year or two or three at a firesale price and turn it around.

Thats very likely. GloFo is a major foundry disaster and if that money sink doesnt change. Then I am sure it will be sold off for damage control.