The new fab is expected to begin production in 2023
One of the fabs of semiconductor manufacturer GlobalFoundries in Dresden, Germany. (Credit: Fensterblick/Wikipedia.org)
US-based semiconductor manufacturer GlobalFoundries (GF) has started construction on a new fabrication plant (fab) at its Singapore campus with an investment of over S$5bn ($4bn).
The new fab will help the company grow its global manufacturing footprint for coping up with the increasing customer demand globally for semiconductors.
According to GlobalFoundries, the new fab will be the most advanced semi manufacturing plant in Singapore. It is expected to further boost the company’s ability to offer its feature-rich RF, analogue power, non-volatile memory solutions.
The company said that it is adding 250,000sft of cleanroom space and also new administrative offices as part of the project.
Its new fab in Singapore will open up 1,000 new jobs for the roles of technicians, engineers, and others.
The fab is planned to begin operations in 2023, said the silicon wafer manufacturer.
GlobalFoundries CEO Tom Caulfield said: “GF is meeting the challenge of the global semiconductor shortage by accelerating our investments around the world.
“Working in close collaboration with our customers and the Government of Singapore is a recipe for success that we are pioneering here and looking forward to replicating in the U.S and Europe.
“Our new facility in Singapore will support fast-growing end-markets in the automotive, 5G mobility and secure device segments with long-term customer agreements already in place.”
In order to handle the unprecedented demand for semiconductor chips, the firm plans to expand capacity at all its manufacturing sites in the US, Germany, and other regions. The construction of phase one of the 300mm fab expansion in Singapore marks the start of the plan’s implementation.
Upon completion of the Singaporean expansion, GlobalFoundries expects to add a production capacity of 450,000 wafers per annum. This will take the capacity of its Singapore campus to nearly 1.5 million of 300mm wafers per year.
Singapore Economic Development Board chairman Beh Swan Gin said: “The semiconductor industry is a key pillar of Singapore’s manufacturing sector, and GlobalFoundries’ new fab investment is testament to Singapore’s attractiveness as a global node for advanced manufacturing and innovation.
“It will help GlobalFoundries’ customers to strengthen the resilience of their supply chains, and also add to the vibrancy of our economy through the creation of good jobs for Singaporeans and business opportunities for our local enterprises.”
Earlier this month, the company signed an $800m supply deal with GlobalWafers for adding 300mm silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer manufacturing and expansion of existing 200mm SOI wafer production at its MEMC facility in O’Fallon, Missouri.