IBM and GLOBALFOUNDRIES Begin First Production At NY Fab

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GLOBALFOUNDRIES and IBM today announced an agreement to jointly manufacture advanced computer chips at both companies’ semiconductor fabs in New York’s “Tech Valley.” The new products recently began initial production at IBM’s 300mm fab in East Fishkill and GLOBALFOUNDRIES’ Fab 8 in Saratoga County, and are planned to ramp to volume production in the second half of 2012. The chips are the first silicon produced at GLOBALFOUNDRIES’ newest and most advanced manufacturing facility.

The chips are based on IBM’s 32nm, Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) technology, which was jointly developed with GLOBALFOUNDRIES and other members of IBM’s Process Development Alliance with early research at the University at Albany’s College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering. The technology vastly improves microprocessor performance in multi-core designs and speeds the movement of graphics in gaming, networking, and other image intensive, multi-media applications. The SOI process was used to build the microprocessor that powered IBM Watson, the question-answering computer that won the Jeopardy! quiz show in early 2011.
 
Interesting that it looks like the first commercial chips out of Fab8 won't even be for AMD. POWER maybe? The PR mentions a lot of IBM tech like eDRAM. I wonder if BD+ or v2 or whatever (Piledriver) will be sourced at two different fabs?
 
This is AWESOME, especially for Americans who need jobs.
 
BBA said:
This is AWESOME, especially for Americans who need jobs.
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Not really. The fab is only going to employ ~1200 people, and most of them will be for highly skilled positions. Very few people that are currently out of a job would qualify.
 
Wow, I remember when they first announced the negotiations with New York for construction of this fab. Back then it seemed so far in the future. Where has the time gone? :confused:

siliconnerd said:
Not really. The fab is only going to employ ~1200 people, and most of them will be for highly skilled positions. Very few people that are currently out of a job would qualify.
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We'll take it though. ;) Besides, these are jobs we need to attract. To many highly skilled professionals are leaving for other countries. We'll soon be passed up by India and China, assuming we haven't already.
 
Silent.Sin said:
Interesting that it looks like the first commercial chips out of Fab8 won't even be for AMD. POWER maybe? The PR mentions a lot of IBM tech like eDRAM. I wonder if BD+ or v2 or whatever (Piledriver) will be sourced at two different fabs?
Click to expand...

AMD didn't pay for Fab8, lol. I'm sure the fab investors would get priority over project contractors.
 
siliconnerd said:
Not really. The fab is only going to employ ~1200 people, and most of them will be for highly skilled positions. Very few people that are currently out of a job would qualify.
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There's a trickle down effect, though. Chances are those highly skilled workers will be leaving positions where skills aren't as specialized, opening those positions for lower employees, which opens these tertiary positions to entry level workers or unhired potential.
 
Arcygenical said:
AMD didn't pay for Fab8, lol. I'm sure the fab investors would get priority over project contractors.
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As far as GF's top tier fabs go they are their #1 customer so in a way yes, AMD has been and will be paying for Fab8. GF's ownership was over 34% AMD until recently to keep in line with the cross licensing agreement with Intel, see old ass thread here.

"Fab investors" aren't necessarily the ones creating products just like with any other jointly owned company. Whoever has the cash and the finalized designs are the ones highest in the queue I'm sure. If this Fab is meant to be directly compatible with Fab 1 in Dresden which currently only produces AMD chips commercially then why wouldn't I be surprised to see someone other than AMD making the first chip out of Fab8?
 
Arcygenical said:
There's a trickle down effect, though. Chances are those highly skilled workers will be leaving positions where skills aren't as specialized, opening those positions for lower employees, which opens these tertiary positions to entry level workers or unhired potential.
Click to expand...

I was think trickle down effect meant that the new employees paid for more lap dancers, who in turn get to finish their college and get better jobs. :)
 
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