GLOBALFOUNDRIES Launches Embedded MRAM on 22FDX® Platform September 15, 2016High-performance embedded non-volatile memory solution is ideally suited for emerging applications in advanced IoT and automotive Santa Clara, Calif., September 15, 2016-GLOBALFOUNDRIES today introduced a scalable, embedded magnetoresistive non-volatile memory technology (eMRAM) on its 22FDX platform, providing system designers with access to 1,000x faster write speeds and 1,000x more endurance than today’s non-volatile memory (NVM) offerings. 22FDX eMRAM also features the ability to retain data through 260°C solder reflow, industrial temperature operation, while maintaining an industry-leading eMRAM bitcell size. GF’s eMRAM will be offered initially on its 22FDX platform, which leverages the industry’s first 22nm fully-depleted silicon-on-insulator (FD-SOI) technology. This versatile eMRAM technology is designed for both code storage (flash) and working memory (SRAM) to enable ultra-efficient memory sub-systems that can be power cycled without any energy or performance penalty. The power efficiency of FDX™ and eMRAM, coupled with the available RF connectivity IP, makes 22FDX an ideal platform for battery-powered IoT products and automotive MCUs. “Customers are looking for a high-performance non-volatile memory solution that expands their product capabilities,” said Gregg Bartlett, senior vice president CMOS Platforms Business Unit, GF. “Our introduction of 22FDX eMRAM enables system designers with new capabilities, allowing them to build greater functionality into their MCUs and SoCs, while enhancing performance and power efficiency.” The emergence of autonomous vehicles is rapidly driving the need for increased on-chip memory capacities required for real-time vision processing, high-precision, continuous 3D mapping data and next-generation automotive MCUs that update over-the-air. GF’s eMRAM uniquely addresses these advanced driving assistance system (ADAS) requirements by combining greater memory density than SRAM, with the fast write, very high endurance, and non-volatility that only magnetoresistive memory can provide. “Emerging non-volatile memories are moving from the lab to the fab,” said Thomas Coughlin, President of Coughlin Associates. “GF’s 22FDX eMRAM will offer a major advancement in SoC capabilities, by leveraging the key performance attributes of embedded MRAM. Designers of battery powered IoT devices, automotive MCUs and SoCs and SSD storage controllers will certainly want to take advantage of this versatile embedded NVM technology.” The introduction of GF’s 22FDX eMRAM is a result of the company’s multi-year partnership with MRAM pioneer, Everspin Technologies. The partnership has already delivered the world’s highest density ST-MRAM in August, 2016 – Everspin’s 256Mb DDR3 perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction (pMTJ) product, which is now successfully sampling and is being readied for mass production at GF. GF’s 22FDX eMRAM is currently in development and is expected to be available for customer prototyping in 2017, with volume production in 2018. GF’s eMRAM technology is scalable beyond 22nm and is expected to be available on both FinFET and future FDX platforms. About GF GF is the world’s first full-service semiconductor foundry with a truly global footprint. Launched in March 2009, the company has quickly achieved scale as one of the largest foundries in the world, providing a unique combination of advanced technology and manufacturing to more than 250 customers. With operations in Singapore, Germany and the United States, GF is the only foundry that offers the flexibility and security of manufacturing centers spanning three continents. The company’s 300mm fabs and 200mm fabs provide the full range of process technologies from mainstream to the leading edge. This global manufacturing footprint is supported by major facilities for research, development and design enablement located near hubs of semiconductor activity in the United States, Europe and Asia. GF is owned by Mubadala Development Company. For more information, visit https://www.globalfoundries.com. Contacts:Erica McGillGF(518) 305-5978[email protected]
Synopsys公司加入格芯的FDXcelerator合作伙伴计划，以实现使用FD-SOI过程的创新设计 September 9, 2016MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. and SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept. 8, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — Synopsys, Inc. (Nasdaq: SNPS) and GLOBALFOUNDRIES today announced that Synopsys has joined the foundry’s FDXcelerator™ Partner Program, an ecosystem designed to facilitate 22FDX™ system-on-chip (SoC) designs. This program enables designers to deploy Synopsys’ comprehensive RTL-to-GSDII solution with superior power and performance metrics for FDX-based designs. The collaboration accelerates the development of innovative products in applications spanning systems for intelligent clients, 5G connectivity, augmented and virtual reality and automotive.
Synopsys Joins GLOBALFOUNDRIES FDXcelerator Partner Program to Enable Innovative Designs Using the FD-SOI Process September 9, 2016Program Gives Synopsys Access to GLOBALFOUNDRIES FDX Portfolio and Provides Customers with Tools that Support the Differentiated Features of FD-SOI MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. and SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept. 8, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — Synopsys, Inc. (Nasdaq: SNPS) and GLOBALFOUNDRIES today announced that Synopsys has joined the foundry’s FDXcelerator™ Partner Program, an ecosystem designed to facilitate 22FDX™ system-on-chip (SoC) designs. This program enables designers to deploy Synopsys’ comprehensive RTL-to-GSDII solution with superior power and performance metrics for FDX-based designs. The collaboration accelerates the development of innovative products in applications spanning systems for intelligent clients, 5G connectivity, augmented and virtual reality and automotive.
格芯使用12nm FD-SOI技术扩展FDX™路线图 September 8, 20162016年9月8日 12FDX™可根据需要提供全节点扩展，超低功耗和性能 加利福尼亚州圣克拉拉市 2006年9月29日 格芯今天公布了新的12nm FD-SOI半导体技术，通过提供业界首个多节点FD-SOI线路图，扩展了其领先地位。基于其22FDX®产品的成功，该公司的下一代12FDX™平台旨在实现包括移动计算，5G连联接，人工智能和自主车辆的各种应用的未来智能系统。 这个世界正在被数万亿的设备连接起来，这种趋势使得这个世界更加的集成化，同时许多新兴的应用需要采用新的半导体创新方法来实现。使这些应用成为现实,芯片正在发展成为微型系统。同时，这些微型系统中集成了超低功耗智能组件，包括无线连接，非易失性存储器和电源管理。 格芯的全新12FDX技术专门用于提供前所未有的系统集成度，以及设计灵活性和功率扩展。 12FDX为系统集成设定了新的标准，同时也提供了一个优化平台,把射频（RF），模拟，嵌入式存储器和高级逻辑集成到单个芯片上。通过使用软件控制的晶体管，该技术可以提供业界最广泛的动态电压调整和无与伦比的设计灵活性。同时，能够及时提供峰值性能，并且可以平衡静态和动态功率以实现最终的能源效率。 “某些应用需要FinFET晶体管的卓越性能，但绝大多数连接设备则需要高水平的集成度，以及在性能和功耗上的灵活性。在这些方面，FinFET是无法实现的”，格芯的首席执行官Sanjay Jha说。 “我们的22FDX和12FDX技术通过为下一代连接的智能系统提供替代途径，填补了行业路线图的空白。通过我们的FDX平台，设计成本明显降低。同时，也重新开启了高级节点迁移的门户，从而激发了整个生态系统的创新。“ 格芯的新型12FDX技术建立在12nm全耗尽绝缘体（FD-SOI）平台上，能够实现10nm FinFET的性能，同时具有比16nm FinFET更少的功耗和更低的成本。该平台提供了全节点的扩展能力，相比现今的FinFET技术，提供15％的性能提升，并节省达50％的功耗。 “芯片制造业已不再是一体化的。虽然FinFET是最高性能产品的首选技术，但是对于许多追求性价比的移动产品和物联网产品，其行业产品路线图并不是太清晰。这些产品需要尽可能低的功耗，同时能有足够快的频率。”Linley Group的创始人兼首席分析师Linley Gwennap表示， “格芯的22FDX和12FDX技术已经很好地弥补了这一空白，为先进的节点设计提供了一个替代的迁移路径，特别是针对那些在不增加裸片成本的情况下寻求降低功耗的方案。今天，格芯是22nm及以下FD-SOI唯一的供应商，这一点能让格芯显得独一无二。” “当GF推出22FDX以来，我看到一些全新的功能。” VLSI研究公司董事长兼首席执行官G. Dan Hutcheson表示，“需要特殊化设计的人们无法忽视电力和性能的动态平衡。 现在，凭借其全新的12FDX产品，格芯正在为此技术提供明确的承诺，特别是对于目前市场上最具突破性创新的物联网和汽车。 格芯的FD-SOI技术将成为这一突破性创新的关键因素。” IBS公司创始人兼首席执行官Handel Jones表示：“FD-SOI技术可以为那些需要特殊化设计的用户提供功率，性能和成本的动态平衡。”格芯的全新12FDX产品提供了业界首个FD-SOI的产品规划，这样就能将低成本的迁移路径提供给智能客户端，5G，AR / VR，和汽车等领域。 格芯在德国德累斯顿的Fab 1晶圆厂目前正在为12FDX的发展和后续制造准备进行准备。第一批为客户生产的产品预计将于2019年上半年开始生产。 “我们对于格芯12FDX产品的推出感到非常兴奋，并希望这样的产品能提供给中国的客户。”中国科学院上海微系统与信息技术研究所所长的王曦院士说，“扩展FD-SOI产品路线图将使移动，物联网和汽车等市场的客户能够利用FDX技术的功耗优势和性能优势来创造有竞争力的产品。” “NXP半导体公司的的下一代i.MX多媒体应用处理器正在利用FD-SOI的优势，实现在汽车，工业和消费应用领域的功效方面和随时进行调整能力的领先地位。” NXP半导体公司应用处理器产品线的的副总裁Ron Martino表示， “格芯的12FDX技术是对整个行业的一个巨大贡献，因为它为FD-SOI提供了下一代节点，并且将进一步扩展平面设备的能力，为未来智能、联通的安全系统提供更低的风险，更广泛的动态范围和高的性价比。” “在INVECAS，我们的授权是向格芯客户提供无与伦比的IP解决方案，ASIC，设计服务以及软件和系统级专业知识，从而确保他们充分利用技术来降低设计的复杂性和时间门槛。” INVECAS首席执行官Dasaradha Gude说， “基于我们已经为22FDX完成的工作，我们期待扩大我们的战略关系，以支持格芯的新型12FDX技术，为客户提供创新的FD-SOI设计的路线图。” “VeriSilicon作为FD-SOI设计推动者之一，充分地利用了其硅平台服务（SiPaaS）以及为SoC提供一流的IP和设计服务的经验。” VeriSilicon的总裁兼首席执行官Wayne Dai说， “FD-SOI技术的独特优势能使我们在汽车，物联网，移动和消费市场脱颖而出。我们期待与格芯扩大其在12FDX产品线上的合作，并为中国市场的客户提供高质量，低功耗和高性价比的解决方案。” “12FDX开发将在功率，性能和智能扩展方面获得更大的突破，因为12nm最适合双重刻印复写，并以最低的制程复杂度提供最佳的系统性能和功耗表现。”CEA技术研究所Leti首席执行官Marie Semeria表示，“我们很高兴看到莱迪团队与格芯在美国和德国的合作结果，扩展了FD-SOI技术的路线图，这将成为连接设备的全系统芯片集成的最佳平台。” “我们非常高兴看到22FDX产品在无晶圆厂客户圈内的强劲势头，它得到了广泛的采用。现在，这款新的12FDX产品将进一步扩大FD-SOI市场的应用。”Soitec首席执行官Paul Boudre表示， “在Soitec，我们已经准备好支持格芯，从22nm到12nm的高容量，高质量的FD-SOI衬底。这对于我们的行业来说是一个惊人的机会，可以及时支持大量新的移动和连接应用程序。” 关于格芯 GF是世界上第一个具有真正意义上足迹遍布全球的全方位服务晶圆制造商。该公司于2009年3月成名，并迅速实现了规模化，成为世界最大的晶圆生产商之一，为250多个客户提供先进技术和独特制造的组合。格芯在新加坡，德国和美国经营，是唯一提供跨越全球三大洲的制造中心，并提供的足够灵活性和高度安全性的代工厂。该公司的300mm晶圆厂和200mm晶圆厂提供从主流到前沿的全系列制程技术。格芯的制造业务遍及全球，而格芯位于美国，欧洲和亚洲的半导体业务中心的大量的研发和设计实现人员为格芯的全球制造业务提供全面的支持。格芯由Mubadala Development Company拥有。欲了解更多信息，请访问https://www.globalfoundries.com。 联系人： Jason Gorss 电话：（518）698-7765 [email protected]
格芯公布生态系统合作伙伴计划，加速未来互联系统的创新 September 8, 2016 FDXcelerator™合作伙伴计划扩展了生态系统，并促进了格芯的FDX™产品组合的更快更广泛的部署 加利福尼亚州圣克拉拉市 2016年9月8日 格芯今天宣布推出新的合作伙伴计划FDXcelerator™，这是一个旨在促进22FDX®片上系统（SoC）设计的生态系统，该系统可以缩短客户的产品上市时间。 随着近期公布的下一代12FDX™技术，FDXcelerator合作伙伴计划基于格芯在行业首创的FD-SOI路线图，为进行先进节点设计的客户提供了较低的成本迁移途径。 参与格芯和FDXcelerator合作伙伴解决方案，客户将能够构建创新的22FDX SoC解决方案，并轻松从40nm和28nm等传统节点迁移到FD-SOI。初期的FDXcelerator合作伙伴已经为该计划提供了一系列重要的产品，其中包括： · 工具（EDA）可以添加特定的模块来轻松地利用FDSOI偏差的差异化功能来补足行业领先的设计流程 · 一个全面的设计元素库（IP），包括基础知识产权，接口和复杂的IP。这样的元素设计库（IP）可以使铸造厂客户能够从验证的IP元素开始设计 · 平台（ASIC）允许客户在22FDX上构建完整的ASIC产品 · 参考解决方案（参考设计和系统IP）。合作伙伴在新兴应用领域提供系统级专业知识，使客户能够加快其产品的上市时间 · 资源（设计咨询和服务）。合作伙伴接受了专门的培训用以支持22FDX技术 · 产品包装和测试（OSAT）解决方案 格芯的产品管理高级副总裁Alain Mutricy说：“以22FDX作为建立差异化，高度集成的系统的平台越来越成为一种行业趋势。现在是加强行业合作的好时机，使我们的客户能更快的接受和采用22FDX。 FDXcelerator将通过为真正创新的FDX定制解决方案和服务创造市场，扩展FD-SOI生态系统的覆盖范围。 FDXcelerator合作伙伴计划创建一个开放框架，允许选定的合作伙伴将其产品或服务集成到经过验证的即插即用设计解决方案目录中。这种集成度允许客户创建高性能设计，同时通过接触特定于22FDX技术的广泛的优质产品，最大限度地减少开发成本。合作伙伴生态系统使其成员和客户能够利用FDX市场的广泛使用来加速发展。 随着设计人员利用该过程作为基于Fin-FET的芯片技术的替代品，FD-SOI技术已经越来越多的被设计者使用。该技术以最低的解决方案成本来实现所需要的性能和能耗要求。根据最近的Linley Group微处理器报告，FD-SOI提供了FinFET的替代方案，格芯的FDX技术为那些不太能接受FinFET的成本和复杂性的应用提供了替代的方案。 FDXcelerator合作伙伴计划的初始合作伙伴包括：Synopsys（EDA），Cadence（EDA），INVECAS（IP和设计解决方案），VeriSilicon（ASIC），CEA Leti（服务），Dreamchip（参考解决方案）和Encore Semi（服务）。这些公司已经开始提供先进的22FDX SoC解决方案和服务。更多的FDXcelerator成员将在接下来的几个月内公布。 有兴趣了解FDXcelerator的客户和合作伙伴，请访问www.globalfoundries.com/FDXcelerator 行业寄语 “我们与格芯合作，一起使用FDX技术来为客户开发全面的Cadence FD-SOI。通过格芯的 FDXcelerator合作伙伴计划，我们的共同客户可以在紧凑的市场期限内获得创建高级SoC设计所需的工具和支持。” Custom IC and PCB Group at Cadence高级副总裁兼总经理 Tom Beckley “FD-SOI技术是Dreamchip的战略解决方案推动者，我们很高兴加入FDXcelerator合作伙伴计划。作为初始成员，这一合作将使共同客户能够接触Dreamchip经验证的设计能力。该能力主要专注于汽车ADAS多处理器SoC FDX，系统和嵌入式软件解决方案，这样可以产生具有成本优势的自动驾驶应用。 Dreamchip常务董事兼首席运营官Jens Benndorf博士 “Encore Semi很高兴扩大与格芯的合作，我们非常支持FDXcelerator计划。 FD-SOI技术真正打开了设计创新的大门。 格芯及客户可以依靠Encore Semi的专家为FD-SOI项目带来积极的影响。” Encore Semi总裁兼首席运营官Olivier Lauvray “我们的目的是为格芯客户提供无与伦比的IP解决方案，ASIC和设计服务，以及软件和系统级专业知识，从而确保22FDX客户充分利用技术来降低设计在复杂性和时间安排方面的困难。在我们的战略关系上，我们很荣幸能够成为格芯FDXcelerator计划的初期合作伙伴。该计划是一项突破性的举措，旨在帮助广大客户加速投入量产的过程，并在格芯FDX技术上创建更广泛的解决方案。” INVASAS首席执行官Dasaradha Gude “这种伙伴关系是Leti全球战略的一个关键组成部分。格芯FDXcelerator可以帮助Leti的广大的设计人员利用FD-SOI技术在超低功耗设计中获得显著的优势，同时增加我们各自的客户对于我们技术的使用。 Leti首席执行官Marie Semeria “Synopsys很高兴成为FDXcelerator计划的一部分，作为初始成员，Synopsys和格芯在FDX平台上的合作为共同客户提供了FD-SOI特别的端对端EDA解决方案。这包括对体偏置设计能力无缝支持，同时这种能力也会适应SoC操作与高性能设计的超低功耗操作相结合。很多客户希望通过经验证的Synopsys Galaxy设计平台来开放FDX价值主张，我们也期待着更多的支持这些客户。 Synopsys设计集团产品营销副总裁Bijan Kiani “VeriSilicon为客户提供基于我们一流的IP的定制芯片解决方案。我们的端到端半导体服务不仅可以缩短设计周期，还可以提高质量，降低风险。通过成为FDXcelerator合作伙伴，我们可以获得更加丰富的IP和设计工具，为客户提供最广泛和最具灵活性的22FDX解决方案和设计服务。 VeriSilicon主席，总裁兼首席执行官Wayne Dai 关于格芯 格芯是世界上第一个具有真正意义上足迹遍布全球的全方位服务晶圆制造商。该公司于2009年3月成名，并迅速实现了规模化，成为世界最大的晶圆生产商之一，为250多个客户提供先进技术和独特制造的组合。格芯在新加坡，德国和美国经营，是唯一提供跨越全球三大洲的制造中心，并提供的足够灵活性和高度安全性的代工厂。该公司的300mm晶圆厂和200mm晶圆厂提供从主流到前沿的全系列制程技术。格芯的制造业务遍及全球，而格芯位于美国，欧洲和亚洲的半导体业务中心的大量的研发和设计实现人员为格芯的全球制造业务提供全面的支持。格芯由Mubadala Development Company拥有。欲了解更多信息，请访问https://www.globalfoundries.com。 联系人： Jason Gorss 电话：（518）698-7765 [email protected]
GlobalFoundries Unveils Ecosystem Partner Program to Accelerate Innovation for Tomorrow’s Connected Systems September 8, 2016 FDXcelerator™ Partner Program expands the ecosystem and promotes faster, broader deployment of GF’s FDX™ portfolio Santa Clara, Calif., September 8, 2016 – GlobalFoundries today announced a new partner program, called FDXcelerator™, an ecosystem designed to facilitate 22FDX® system-on-chip (SoC) design and reduce time-to-market for its customers. With the recent announcement of the company’s next-generation 12FDX™ technology, the FDXcelerator Partner Program builds upon GF industry-first FD-SOI roadmap, a lower-cost migration path for customers desiring advanced node design. Together with GF and FDXcelerator Partner solutions, customers will be able to build innovative 22FDX SoC solutions as well as ease migration to FD-SOI from bulk nodes such as 40nm and 28nm. Initial FDXcelerator Partners have committed a set of key offerings to the program, including: tools (EDA) that complement industry-leading design flows by adding specific modules to easily leverage FDSOI body-bias differentiated features,a comprehensive library of design elements (IP), including foundation IP, interfaces and complex IP to enable foundry customers to start their designs from validated IP elements,platforms (ASIC), which allow a customer to build a complete ASIC offering on 22FDX,reference solutions (reference designs, system IP), whereby the Partner brings system-level expertise in Emerging application areas, enabling customers to speed-up time to market,resources (design consultation, services), whereby Partners have trained dedicated resources to support 22FDX technology, and;product packaging and test (OSAT) solutions. “22FDX is increasingly gaining momentum as the platform of choice to build differentiated, highly-integrated system solutions,” said Alain Mutricy, senior vice president of Product Management at GF. “Now is the time to step up industry collaboration to enable our customers to accelerate the adoption of 22FDX. FDXcelerator will extend the reach of the FD-SOI ecosystem by creating a marketplace for truly innovative FDX-tailored solutions and services.” The FDXcelerator Partner Program creates an open framework to allow selected Partners to integrate their products or services into a validated, plug-and-play catalog of design solutions. This level of integration allows customers to create high-performance designs while minimizing development costs through access to a broad set of quality offerings, specific to 22FDX technology. The Partner ecosystem positions members and customers to take advantage of the broad adoption and accelerating growth of the FDX market. FD-SOI technology has been gaining ground as designers leverage the process as an alternative to Fin-FET-based technologies for chips that require performance on demand and energy efficiency at the lowest solution cost. According to a recent Linley Group Microprocessor Report, FD-SOI Offers Alternative to FinFET, GF’s FDX technologies provide an alternative path for applications that cannot accept the cost and complexity of FinFETs. Initial partners of the FDXcelerator Partner Program are: Synopsys (EDA), Cadence (EDA), INVECAS (IP and Design Solutions), VeriSilicon (ASIC), CEA Leti (services), Dreamchip (reference solutions) and Encore Semi (services). These companies have already initiated work to deliver advanced 22FDX SoC solutions and services. Additional FDXcelerator members will be announced in the following months. Customers and Partners interested in learning more about FDXcelerator can visit here. Supporting Quotes “We collaborated with GF to develop comprehensive Cadence FD-SOI-ready flows for customers using FDX technologies. Through the GF FDXcelerator Partner Program, our mutual customers have access to the tools and support they need to create advanced SoC designs within tight market deadlines.” Tom Beckley, senior vice president and general manager, Custom IC and PCB Group at Cadence “FD-SOI technology is a strategic solution enabler for Dreamchip. We are thrilled to join the FDXcelerator Partnership Program as an initial member. This collaboration will enable mutual customers to access Dreamchip’s validated design capabilities focused on automotive ADAS multi-processor SoC FDX-centric implementation, system, and embedded software solutions, enabling the industry for cost-effective autonomous driving applications.” Dr. Jens Benndorf, managing director and COO, Dreamchip “Encore Semi is thrilled to expand its collaboration with GF and support the FDXcelerator initiative. The FD-SOI technology really opens the door for design innovation. GF and its customers can rely on Encore Semi’s experts to positively impact their FD-SOI projects.” Olivier Lauvray, president and COO, Encore Semi “Our companies charter is to provide unrivaled IP solutions, ASIC and Design Services, and software and system-level expertise to GF customers. Thereby ensuring 22FDX customers are getting the most out of the technology and lowering the barrier of design complexity and schedule. Building on our strategic relationship, we are honored to be an initial partner in GF FDXcelerator Program, the ground-breaking initiative to enable a broader range of customers, accelerate time-to-volume, and create a broader range of solutions on GF FDX technologies.” Dasaradha Gude, CEO, INVECAS “This kind of partnership is a key part of Leti’s global strategy. GF FDXcelerator positions Leti to help a broad range of designers utilize FD-SOI technologies significant strengths in ultra-low-power design, giving customers increased access to our respective technologies.” Marie Semeria, CEO, Leti “Synopsys is pleased to be part of the FDXcelerator program as an initial member. The collaboration between Synopsys and GF on the FDX platform provides mutual customers access to FD-SOI specific end-to-end EDA solutions. This includes seamless support for the body bias design capability that enables adaptive SoC operation marrying high-performance design and ultra-low-power operation. We look forward to supporting customers who will unlock the FDX value proposition through the validated Synopsys Galaxy Design Platform.” Bijan Kiani, vice president of product marketing for Synopsys’ Design Group “VeriSilicon offers our customers custom silicon solutions based on our best-in-class IPs. Our end-to-end semiconductor turnkey services can not only shorten their design cycle, but also enhance quality and reduce risk. By becoming an FDXcelerator partner, we have rich IPs and design tools to offer our customers the best in breadth and flexibility in 22FDX solutions and design services.” Wayne Dai, VeriSilicon chairman, president and chief executive officer About GF GF is the world’s first full-service semiconductor foundry with a truly global footprint. Launched in March 2009, the company has quickly achieved scale as one of the largest foundries in the world, providing a unique combination of advanced technology and manufacturing to more than 250 customers. With operations in Singapore, Germany and the United States, GF is a foundry that offers the flexibility and security of manufacturing centers spanning three continents. The company’s 300mm fabs and 200mm fabs provide the full range of process technologies from mainstream to the leading edge. This global manufacturing footprint is supported by major facilities for research, development and design enablement located near hubs of semiconductor activity in the United States, Europe and Asia. GF is owned by Mubadala Development Company. For more information, visit https://www.gf.com. Contacts: Erica McGillGF(518) 305-5978[email protected]
GLOBALFOUNDRIES Extends FDX™ Roadmap with 12nm FD-SOI Technology September 8, 201612FDX™ delivers full-node scaling, ultra-low power, and performance on demand Santa Clara, Calif., September 8, 2016-GLOBALFOUNDRIES today unveiled a new 12nm FD-SOI semiconductor technology, extending its leadership position by offering the industry’s first multi-node FD-SOI roadmap. Building on the success of its 22FDX® offering, the company’s next-generation 12FDX™ platform is designed to enable the intelligent systems of tomorrow across a range of applications, from mobile computing and 5G connectivity to artificial intelligence and autonomous vehicles. As the world becomes more and more integrated through billions of connected devices, many emerging applications demand a new approach to semiconductor innovation. The chips that make these applications possible are evolving into mini-systems, with increased integration of intelligent components including wireless connectivity, non-volatile memory, and power management—all while driving ultra-low power consumption. GF’s new 12FDX technology is specifically architected to deliver these unprecedented levels of system integration, design flexibility, and power scaling. 12FDX sets a new standard for system integration, providing an optimized platform for combining radio frequency (RF), analog, embedded memory, and advanced logic onto a single chip. The technology also provides the industry’s widest range of dynamic voltage scaling and unmatched design flexibility via software-controlled transistors—capable of delivering peak performance when and where it is needed, while balancing static and dynamic power for the ultimate in energy efficiency. “Some applications require the unsurpassed performance of FinFET transistors, but the vast majority of connected devices need high levels of integration and more flexibility for performance and power consumption, at costs FinFET cannot achieve,” said GF CEO Sanjay Jha. “Our 22FDX and 12FDX technologies fill a gap in the industry’s roadmap by providing an alternative path for the next generation of connected intelligent systems. And with our FDX platforms, the cost of design is significantly lower, reopening the door for advanced node migration and spurring increased innovation across the ecosystem.” GF’s new 12FDX technology is built on a 12nm fully-depleted silicon-on-insulator (FD-SOI) platform, enabling the performance of 10nm FinFET with better power consumption and lower cost than 16nm FinFET. The platform offers a full node of scaling benefit, delivering a 15 percent performance boost over today’s FinFET technologies and as much as 50 percent lower power consumption. “Chip manufacturing is no longer one-shrink-fits-all. While FinFET is the technology of choice for the highest-performance products, the industry roadmap is less clear for many cost-sensitive mobile and IoT products, which require the lowest possible power while still delivering adequate clock speeds,” said Linley Gwennap, founder and principal analyst of the Linley Group. “GF’s 22FDX and 12FDX technologies are well positioned to fill this gap by offering an alternative migration path for advanced node designs, particularly those seeking to reduce power without increasing die cost. Today, GF is the only purveyor of FD-SOI at 22nm and below, giving it a clear differentiation.” “When 22FDX first came out from GF, I saw some game-changing features. The real-time tradeoffs in power and performance could not be ignored by those needing to differentiate their designs,” said G. Dan Hutcheson, chairman and CEO of VLSI Research. “Now with its new 12FDX offering, GF is showing a clear commitment to delivering a roadmap for this technology — especially for IoT and Automotive, which are the most disruptive forces in the market today. GF’s FD-SOI technologies will be a critical enabler of this disruption.” “FD-SOI technology can provide real-time trade-offs in power, performance and cost for those needing to differentiate their designs,” said Handel Jones, founder and CEO, IBS, Inc. “GF’s new 12FDX offering delivers the industry’s first FD-SOI roadmap that brings the lowest cost migration path for advanced node design, enabling tomorrow’s connected systems for Intelligent Clients, 5G, AR/VR, Automotive markets.” GF Fab 1 in Dresden, Germany is currently putting the conditions in place to enable the site’s 12FDX development activities and subsequent manufacturing. Customer product tape-outs are expected to begin in the first half of 2019. “We are excited about the GF 12FDX offering and the value it can provide to customers in China,” said Dr. Xi Wang, Director General, Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology. “Extending the FD-SOI roadmap will enable customers in markets such as mobile, IoT, and automotive to leverage the power efficiency and performance benefits of the FDX technologies to create competitive products.” “NXP’s next generation of i.MX multimedia applications processors are leveraging the benefits of FD-SOI to achieve both leadership in power efficiency and scaling performance-on-demand for automotive, industrial and consumer applications,” said Ron Martino, vice president, i.MX applications processor product line at NXP Semiconductors. “GF’s 12FDX technology is a great addition to the industry because it provides a next generation node for FD-SOI that will further extend planar device capability to deliver lower risk, wider dynamic range, and compelling cost-performance for smart, connected and secure systems of tomorrow.” “At INVECAS, our charter is to provide unrivaled IP solutions, ASIC and Design Services, and software and system-level expertise to GF customers, thereby ensuring they get the most out of the technology and lowering the barrier of design complexity and schedule,” said Dasaradha Gude, CEO of INVECAS. “Building on the work we have already accomplished for 22FDX, we look forward to extending our strategic relationship to support GF’s new 12FDX technology, which will provide customers with a roadmap for their innovative FD-SOI designs.” “As one of the first movers of design for FD-SOI, VeriSilicon leverages its Silicon Platform as a Service (SiPaaS) together with experience in delivering best-in-class IPs and design services for SoCs,” said Wayne Dai, president and CEO of VeriSilicon. “The unique benefits of FD-SOI technologies enable us to differentiate in the automotive, IoT, mobility, and consumer market segments. We look forward to extending our collaboration with GF on their 12FDX offering and providing high-quality, low-power and cost-effective solutions to our customers for the China market.” “12FDX development will deliver another breakthrough in power, performance, and intelligent scaling as 12nm is best for double patterning and delivers best system performance and power at the lowest process complexity,” said Marie Semeria, CEO of Leti, an institute of CEA Tech. “We are pleased to see the results of the collaboration between the Leti teams and GF in the U.S. and Germany extending the roadmap for FD-SOI technology, which will become the best platform for full system on chip integration of connected devices.” “We are very pleased to see a strong momentum and a very solid adoption from fabless customers in 22FDX offering. Now this new 12FDX offering will further expand FD-SOI market adoption,” said Paul Boudre, Soitec CEO. “At Soitec, we are fully prepared to support GF with high volumes, high quality FD-SOI substrates from 22nm to 12nm. This is an amazing opportunity for our industry just in time to support a big wave of new mobile and connected applications.” About GF GF is the world’s first full-service semiconductor foundry with a truly global footprint. Launched in March 2009, the company has quickly achieved scale as one of the largest foundries in the world, providing a unique combination of advanced technology and manufacturing to more than 250 customers. With operations in Singapore, Germany and the United States, GF is the only foundry that offers the flexibility and security of manufacturing centers spanning three continents. The company’s 300mm fabs and 200mm fabs provide the full range of process technologies from mainstream to the leading edge. This global manufacturing footprint is supported by major facilities for research, development and design enablement located near hubs of semiconductor activity in the United States, Europe and Asia. GF is owned by Mubadala Development Company. For more information, visit https://www.globalfoundries.com. Contacts:Jason GorssGF(518) 698-7765[email protected]
Executive Perspective: Everything’s Going Wireless, And RF Chips Are Enabling It September 1, 2016By Bami Bastani Advances in technology are vital to human progress because they bring about better ways to address our needs, and they give succeeding generations a better starting point on the road toward fulfilling their potential. Just think how much easier, safer and more productive our daily lives are compared with those of our ancestors, thanks to progress in agricultural, medical, energy, transportation and other technologies. Today, the growing ability to wirelessly communicate and access information anytime, anywhere, is not only leading to new types of connected products and systems, it is driving fundamental change in how we structure our lives and interact with others. Our dependence on cellular and Wi-Fi connectivity has already become so strong that some people joke it should be given a place in psychology’s Maslow’s hierarchy of needs alongside such basic requirements for life as food and water. Although that’s clearly said with tongue-in-cheek, parents whose teenagers are glued to their phones might think it’s not too much of a stretch. But this need for wireless connectivity is only beginning. Our dependence on it is about to deepen because the capabilities of cellular and Wi-Fi networks are set to expand exponentially over the next few years, opening up possibilities that were only in the realm of science fiction such as self-driving vehicles and augmented or virtual reality. One reason for this is the global effort under way to develop fifth-generation (5G) networks that offer blazing speeds and much higher data capacities than existing cellular systems. 5G networks, for which standards are being drawn right now, will enable mobile devices to have a much more prominent role on the Internet. For example, an automotive radar system isn’t much good if it sees an obstacle in the road but the network it’s on is too slow to deliver a timely alert. The much faster response times, or low latencies, of 5G networks will help to make such systems practical. Another reason our dependence on wireless connectivity is set to increase is the growing emphasis on integrating the physical world into computing systems by giving wearable devices and other objects in the environment the abilities to sense, communicate and process information. Remote health monitoring, “smart” factories, increased personal security and better inventory control are only some of the benefits that can be realized by connecting physical objects wirelessly on the so-called Internet of Things (IoT) which is taking shape. RF ICs are the Building Blocks The basic building blocks of advanced cellular and Wi-Fi network equipment are ultra-fast radio frequency (RF) integrated circuits. While the specifications for both 5G and IoT networks are evolving, it is clear both will require innovations in radio technologies. That, in turn, will require increasingly sophisticated RF ICs to support the new modes of operation and higher capabilities required. I am proud to say that GLOBALFOUNDRIES enjoys a pre-eminent position in the technologies needed to build RF chips for these evolving wireless applications. Our RF offerings include complete wafer foundry services for RF front ends, transceivers, high-performance power amplifiers, low-noise signal amplifiers, mixers, antenna tuners, high-speed analog and digital converters, switches, controllers, millimeter wave phased-array antenna circuitry, and other components. These are built using state-of-the-art RF silicon-on-insulator (RFSOI), silicon germanium (SiGe) BiCMOS, and RFCMOS semiconductor manufacturing processes tailored to specific RF applications. Because they are silicon-based, these technologies give customers cost-effective solutions which optimally combine performance, integration and power efficiency. GLOBALFOUNDRIES offers a complete RF solution compared to other semiconductor suppliers. Others only offer bits and pieces of silicon-based RF technology, or exotic, hard-to-integrate and expensive non-silicon alternatives. Our portfolio of RFSOI and SiGe processes span a broad range of technology nodes and include: Mobile-optimized RFSOI and SiGe power amplifier (PA) technology families for cellular and Wi-Fi front-end modules in mobile devices and access points. Performance-optimized SiGe technologies for demanding RF solutions across communications, optical networks, aerospace, automotive, industrial, and test-equipment applications. RFSOI has taken the mobile world by storm for its ability to help solve the many challenges associated with ensuring that users enjoy seamless, reliable connectivity anywhere including extending mobile device battery life and minimizing dropped calls. Meanwhile, our advanced fully-depleted SOI technology can help deliver significantly lower power consumption in RF transceivers. The combination of FDSOI for transceivers and RFSOI for front-end modules enables GLOBALFOUNDRIES to offer customers a very compelling set of RF solutions, no matter how network requirements or customer architectures/partitioning may evolve. That’s important for GLOBALFOUNDRIES because RF applications account for a significant portion of our overall business. But it’s important in a larger sense, too. Wireless connectivity is helping to bring about another technological revolution that will make life better. That means the work we do here every day truly matters, because it represents real human progress.
Analyst Perspective: Why GLOBALFOUNDRIES’ 22FDX® will be a Major Revolution August 25, 2016Foundry Files Guest Blog This article originally appeared in The Chip Insider, August 7, 2015, and is printed here with permission from VLSI Research, Inc. GLOBALFOUNDRIES’ 22FDX is the first radically new process since Intel introduced the first working finFET process. You may have noticed an omission on my part for some time. That is I’ve never written much about FD SOI over the years. The reasons are pretty simple. First, I didn’t have anything positive to say that I really believed. The problem with FD SOI has been that it’s only salable advantage was that it was cheap. And even that was in question, because the big dogs didn’t bite — and they’re all about lowering cost. Even if it was cheaper, no fabless company is going to risk its future on lower wafer costs. The upfront NRE costs of a new design, time-to-market constraints, as well as the consequences of failure should it not yield, overwhelm the promise of cheaper wafers. The giga-fabbed chip makers know this, so they won’t move until their customer moves. That’s all changed with 22FDX. The big advantage of 22FDX is the ability to have real-time trade-offs between power and performance via software-controlled body-biasing of the transistor. Yes, there are real time power consumption trade-offs that can be made at the device level — mostly by turning on-and-off major functional blocks. But to the best of my knowledge it’s never been at the transistor level on a market-worthy process. If this works like they say it does, 22FDX will be a major revolution that will be disruptive throughout the electronics industry. Here’s why: Imagine a future where you could set how many hours your battery will last. Right now, the best thing an OEM can do is shut certain functions off as power dwindles, such as how the Apple WATCH does. But with 22FDX, you could potentially set your watch to something like, ‘run until 9 PM, when I expect to take it off.’ And then change it to later or reset it the next day if you wanted. Then the watch would match its power-performance trade-off to a prediction based on your typical use and then modify its performance based on how you’re using it that day. It would work the same way on phones, laptops, and just about any mobile electronics you can think of. Now how cool is that! This guest article was written by Dan Hutcheson, CEO and Chairman of VLSI Research Inc. Hutcheson is a recognized authority on the semiconductor industry, winning SEMI’s Sales and Marketing Excellence Award in 2012 for “empowering executives with tremendous strategic and tactical marketing value” through his e-letter, The Chip Insider®; his book Maxims of Hi-Tech, and his many interviews of executives. Dan’s public work on the industry includes two innovative articles for Scientific American challenging predictions of the demise of Moore’s Law by demonstrating how scientists’ innate abilities to innovate have outpaced the doomsayers and an invited article on the history and economics of Moore’s Law for the SIA.
Fab 8 Update: 14nm Creating and Capturing Value in the Ecosystem August 18, 2016In our journey at Fab 8, we’ve made great strides. Last year, we crossed a significant milestone – moving from construction to full-scale production, and driving to ramp the early-access version of our 14nm FinFET technology (14LPE) to volume production. This year we have driven a steady march of execution with our performance-enhanced 14LPP technology. We kicked off the year with the exciting news that our 14nm technologies will be fueling some of the most powerful compute and graphics applications, with AMD’s new lineup of discrete graphic processors. Continuing this momentum, we delivered strong technical results by reaching mature yields in high volume production on multiple products, introducing several new products for major customers—including complex chips with very large die—and achieving a 100 percent track record of yielding first-time-right silicon and aggressively ramping production to support product launches. It is our relentless focus on execution that is now allowing our customers to differentiate their products, and to bring them to market on time. Another great example is the latest news from AMD, who recently gave a performance preview of its next-generation “Zen” processor core. Just like AMD’s newly launched Polaris graphics chips, this processor is built on GLOBALFOUNDRIES’ 14LPP process technology. It is the powerful combination of AMD’s design expertise and GF’s 14nm FinFET technology that allows Zen to deliver a landmark increase in processor performance over previous generations. I am pleased to report that customer traction remains strong across a number of segments, with more than 20 active engagements in the mobility, consumer electronics, and high-performance computing sectors. And the interest is not just from traditional foundry customers, but also from companies that are looking to take advantage of the capabilities provided by our FX-14™ ASIC offering for cloud networking, wireless base station, compute, and storage applications. Looking ahead, we are committed to delivering leading-edge technology platforms, while enhancing our 14nm FinFET technology, to enable new opportunities and secure a strong foundation for future success, including 7nm next generation technology.
