GlobalFoundries: 32nm ramp outpaced 45nm

GlobalFoundries deliver word that its Fab 1 in Dresden, Germany has shipped its 250,000th 32nm HKMG wafer. The foundry admits they have some problems with 32nm HKMG early in 2011, but notes that cumulative 32nm shipments in the first five quarters of wafer production are more than double than the number achieved during the same period of the 45nm technology ramp. Additionally, GlobalFoundries notes that AMD and other customers will benefit greatly from the company's high-volume ramp of 32nm, since the firm's 28nm technology uses the same HKMG implementation.

GLOBALFOUNDRIES today announced that its Fab 1 in Dresden, Germany has shipped a quarter of a million semiconductor wafers based on 32nm High-k Metal Gate (HKMG) technology. The milestone represents a significant lead over other foundries in HKMG manufacturing and carries on a long tradition of rapidly ramping leading-edge technologies to volume production.

On a unit basis, cumulative 32nm shipments for the first five quarters of wafer production are more than double that achieved during the same period of the 45nm technology ramp, demonstrating that the overall 32nm ramp has significantly outpaced the 45nm ramp, despite the integration of a number of new and complex elements in both design and process technologies.

“AMD and GLOBALFOUNDRIES worked in close partnership during 2011, and today’s announcement is a testament to the progress we have made together,” said AMD president and CEO Rory Read. “In just one quarter, we were able to see more than a doubling of yields on 32nm, allowing us to exit 2011 having exceeded our 32nm product shipment requirements. Based on this successful ramp of 32nm HKMG, we are committed to moving ahead on 28nm with GLOBALFOUNDRIES.”

“Early in 2011 we met significant challenges in early yield learning on 32nm HKMG,” said GLOBALFOUNDRIES CEO Ajit Manocha. “However, we made several organizational and operational changes in the second half of the year that led to a dramatic increase in production velocity and major breakthroughs in yield learning. And since our 28nm technology uses the same HKMG implementation as 32nm, AMD and other customers will benefit greatly from our high-volume ramp of leading-edge APUs at 32nm.”

At Fab 1 in Dresden, GLOBALFOUNDRIES recently completed construction of an additional wafer manufacturing facility designed to add capacity at 45nm and below, which has the potential to increase the overall output of the Fab 1 campus to 80,000 wafers per month once fully ramped. The expansion project is adding more than 110,000 square feet of cleanroom space to the site, making Fab 1 the largest wafer fab in Europe for leading-edge technology. More than 50 percent of Fab 1’s production is now on HKMG technology. In addition to the 32nm technology, the company’s 28nm HKMG offerings are qualified and ready for design-in today.