Pure-play foundry GlobalFoundries (GF) has officially opened its $4 billion expanded fab in Singapore, which will help the company have an overall capacity of 1.5 million wafers per year.
GF claims the semiconductor facility will be the most advanced fab in Singapore, capable of producing 450,000 300 mm wafers annually. The 23,000 square meter fab will create 1,000 jobs and boost GF’s global manufacturing footprint.
GF said that Singapore’s current semiconductor output makes up about 11% of the global semiconductor market. However, this output might grow as the country is launching a strategy to become a hub for advanced manufacturing.
It comes at a time when players in the semiconductor supply chain is looking to expand beyond the aggregation of Asia, particularly in Taiwan, Korea and China. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, the supply chain suffered and as a result a semiconductor shortage emerged that lasted for more than two years.
The hope is that by expanding the supply chain to more locations, if one region has an issue due to another pandemic or geopolitical issue, the supply chain will be more resilient. Because of this, several semiconductor vendors — like Intel, Micron, GF and others — have issued statements regarding the building of new fabs.
“GlobalFoundries’ fab expansion in Singapore will extend its leadership in semiconductor manufacturing, amid expectations of robust long-term growth for the sector,” said Jacqueline Poh, managing director of Singapore’s EDB. “The new facility will invigorate Singapore’s sophisticated semiconductor ecosystem that serves different parts of the value chain, through the creation of 1,000 good jobs and partnerships with local small-and-medium enterprises. EDB looks forward to working towards the next milestone with GlobalFoundries.”
