GlobalFoundries (GF), the world's leading semiconductor manufacturer, recently announced that it has signed a memorandum of cooperation with Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) to accelerate the R&D and industrialization of advanced packaging technologies through in-depth collaboration between industry, academia and research, and provide key support for chip performance breakthroughs in the post-Moore era.
1. Advanced packaging: a new focus of semiconductor technology in the AI era
With the exponential growth of computing power demand for AI chips, data centers, and 5G/6G communications, traditional process scaling is facing physical limits, and advanced packaging technology has become the core path to improve chip performance. This technology uses Heterogeneous Integration to package chips (such as logic chips, memory chips, sensors, etc.) at different process nodes in the same module, which can not only achieve miniaturization and low power consumption, but also break through the performance bottleneck of a single process. GF's partnership with A*STAR is aimed at this strategic direction – by integrating Singapore's R&D resources with GF's manufacturing capabilities, we will develop more compact and efficient system-in-package solutions to meet the stringent demand for "chip computing density" in scenarios such as AI servers and autonomous driving.
2. Industry-university-research collaboration: the dual drive of technology research and development and ecological co-construction
Under the cooperation framework, ASTAR will open its R&D facilities and technology reserves to GF in the Microelectronics Research Institute (IME), covering cutting-edge areas such as Fan-Out Packaging and 2.5D/3D Packaging. GF will provide ASTAR with advanced packaging equipment to strengthen the linkage between the two companies in process development. This model not only shortens the transition cycle from the laboratory to the production line, but also forms a closed loop of "demand-oriented-technical verification-mass production": GF's Singapore factory will be able to provide one-stop services for chip manufacturing, packaging and testing in the future, and provide customers with customized solutions. For example, the two companies plan to develop AI chip packaging technology that can integrate compute units and high-bandwidth memory (HBM) in the same package, enabling faster data transfer speeds by more than 10 times while reducing power consumption by 30 percent.
Pictured: GlobalFoundries and Singapore's A*STAR join forces to upgrade the advanced packaging industry
3. Talent cultivation: the underlying support of technological innovation
In addition to the technical cooperation, the two companies will jointly develop a talent development program to provide GF employees with specialized training in the field of advanced packaging, as well as attract university talent through internships and joint research projects. This initiative echoes the need for highly skilled talent in Singapore's Manufacturing 2030 vision. Terence Gan, Executive Director of A*STAR Institute of Microelectronics, pointed out that the competitive nature of the semiconductor industry is a competition for talents, and through the dual-track training of "R&D practice + skill upgrading", Singapore's position as a key node in the global semiconductor supply chain can be secured. Tan Yew Kong, General Manager of GF Singapore, emphasized that with the popularity of AI applications, companies need interdisciplinary talents who understand both manufacturing processes and packaging technology, and this partnership will provide employees with a "hands-on classroom" to be exposed to cutting-edge technologies.
4. Global Footprint: GF's Advanced Packaging Strategic Footprint
This collaboration with A*STAR is an important piece of the puzzle for GF's advanced packaging strategy. Back in January 2024, GF announced the establishment of an Advanced Packaging & Photonics Center at its New York facility, focusing on the packaging and testing of chips in the United States. As its Asia-Pacific hub, Singapore and North America form a "dual-engine" layout: the former relies on the advantages of Asian supply chains to focus on consumer electronics and communications, while the latter serves the needs of local AI and defense technology. This kind of regional collaboration not only allows for a quick response to customer needs, but also mitigates potential geopolitical disruptions to the supply chain. For example, GF's 3D packaging chip for an AI start-up was developed in collaboration with teams in Singapore and New York to reduce the time-to-market by 40%.
5. Industry Impact: Technological Paradigm Change in the Post-Moore Era
GF's partnership with A*STAR marks the semiconductor industry's shift from "single-enterprise innovation" to "ecosystem competition." Against the backdrop of a slowdown in Moore's Law, advanced packaging technology is the key to breaking the performance ceiling – Yole Développement predicts that the global advanced packaging market will exceed $50 billion by 2027, with a compound annual growth rate of 9.6%. The partnership will not only increase Singapore's global share in the semiconductor packaging space, which currently accounts for about 6% of the global packaging market, but also has the potential to give rise to new industry standards, such as the "chip-package-system" co-design methodology being explored, which is expected to become a technology benchmark for the next generation of heterogeneous integration.
From the perspective of technological evolution, advanced packaging is not only a process innovation, but also a reconstruction of industrial chain thinking. Through the three-dimensional cooperation model of "equipment investment + R&D sharing + talent training", GF is building an innovation community across academia, research institutions and enterprises. With the deep integration of AI and the Internet of Things, this kind of "ecological innovation" may become the core strategy of the semiconductor industry to break through technological bottlenecks and cope with global competition.
