GLOBALFOUNDRIES announced a strategic shift away from 7nm process technology and toward “clients in high-growth markets.”
Specifically, GF’s 7nm FinFET program is on hold indefinitely and the company will shift development resources to make its 14/12nm FinFET platform more relevant, with a focus on new features such RF, embedded memory, and low power.
The company announced a workforce reduction in conjunction with this move, although a number of top technologists will be redeployed on 14/12nm FinFET derivatives and other differentiated offerings.
GF also announced plans to establish its ASIC business as a wholly-owned subsidiary, independent from the foundry business.
Tom Caulfield, GF’s CEO, stated “Demand for semiconductors has never been higher, and clients are asking us to play an ever-increasing role in enabling tomorrow’s technology innovations. The vast majority of today’s fabless customers are looking to get more value out of each technology generation to leverage the substantial investments required to design into each technology node. Essentially, these nodes are transitioning to design platforms serving multiple waves of applications, giving each node greater longevity. This industry dynamic has resulted in fewer fabless clients designing into the outer limits of Moore’s Law. We are shifting our resources and focus by doubling down on our investments in differentiated technologies across our entire portfolio that are most relevant to our clients in growing market segments.”
