The 2017 GLOBALFOUNDRIES Technology Conference (GTC) was held today in Shanghai, with GF executives, customers, partners and leaders in the Chinese semiconductor industry gathering to discuss the technologies that will enable a new era of connected intelligence. At the event, GF senior executives shed light on the company’s technologies, design solutions, and manufacturing services. The company also highlighted growing momentum around its differentiated 22FDX® technology, including customer adoption by several leading Chinese chip designers.
Mike Cadigan, GF’s senior vice president for global sales and business development, delivered a keynote speech, emphasizing GF’s expectations to become a strong leader in the Chinese semiconductor market. “Along with the rapid growth of customers, markets and applications in this region of the world, we are also continuously developing new technologies for enabling connected intelligence,” Cadigan said. “China is definitely one of our most important markets, and we will keep bringing advanced and differentiated technologies here to help our customers grow and succeed.”
At the event, GF revealed three Chinese customers that will be adopting its new 22FDX technology for next-generation wireless, battery-powered applications. Shanghai Fudan Microelectronics Group will adopt the 22FDX platform to design and develop highly reliable servers, AI and smart IoT intelligent products in 2018. Rockchip will apply 22FDX technology in the design of ultra-low power WiFi smart hardware SoC and high-performance AI processers. Hunan Goke Microelectronics is planning to adopt 22FDX in its next generation of IoT chips.
China is a key region for GF’s future growth plans. The company is building an advanced 300mm semiconductor fab in Chengdu, where a “truss-hoisting” ceremony was recently held to commemorate a major milestone in the construction of the facility, which will be called Fab 11. The construction of the fab is progressing at a fast pace and is on track to be completed in early 2018.
The company is also working closely with the Chengdu municipality to expand the FD-SOI ecosystem, with an investment of more than $100 million to make Chengdu a center of excellence for FDX IC design and IP development. Several leading semiconductor companies have already committed to supporting the ecosystem initiative, including Invecas, GF’s advanced IP development partner. Invecas has established a strong presence in China, including a recently expanded engineering team in Shanghai and Shenzhen and a commitment to set up an R&D center in Chengdu to develop and support advanced IP and designs for FD-SOI systems.