14 DAY TRIAL // 28nm chip supply is not at the level where everyone in need of them can get enough, so Globalfoundries figured there is enough room for it among the foundries who manufacture such units.
Back in June, we reported on Globalfoundries intention to become the world's top foundry, despite its relative youth.
This goal has not yet been achieved, and it will be some time before it does, if ever, but the company is definitely doing all it can to move closer to it.
The most recent step is detailed in this blog post. Apparently, Gobalfoundries will join the ranks of chip manufacturers who provide semiconductors designed on the 28nm manufacturing process.
We'll call it right now: there is no way for the chip maker to rival Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company in that area.
Since its 28nm node went into use a while ago, TSMC has won dozens of contracts. In fact, the only reason GPU and CPU/SoC developers have been calling on other foundries for help is that TSMC can't handle all demand yet.
Moreover, we recently learned that 28nm supply won't reach the desired level this year at all, which means AMD and NVIDIA will have to manage their GPU inventories closely.
Nevertheless, Globalfoundries has advantages of its own. For one, it can ramp up production quickly.
"We delivered the fastest time-to-volume for the 45/40nm production ramp, and we are leading the foundry ramp at 32/28nm in volumes well ahead of others foundries," said Mike Noonen, executive vice president of worldwide marketing and sales at Globalfoundries.
A second asset is the gate-first approach to HKMG fabrication processes, which lets it make up to 20% smaller chips compared to rival companies who employ gate-last HKMG. Not only that, but its 28nm retains the layout style advantages of 40nm: large caps, poly jogs and bi-directional poly.
28nm processors will be made at Fab 1, in Dresden, Germany, and Fab 8, in New York, USA, by early 2013. Contracts will be accepted from AMD and others.
