GF Logo

GlobalFoundries' MEMS roots can be traced backed to Singapore's Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Pte., a foundry vendor that was acquired by Abu Dhabi's Advanced Technology Investment Co. (ATIC) last year. ATIC and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. are the investors in GlobalFoundries.

In 1997, Chartered demonstrated a MEMS capability by moving into production with an inkjet head line. Last year, Chartered joined a MEMS consortium in Singapore, dubbed the MEMS Consortium @ IME Singapore.  

Now, under the GlobalFoundries umbrella, the foundry company is expanding its efforts in MEMS. ''We want to be the leader in MEMS by 2015,'' said Raj Kumar, senior vice president of the company's 200-mm business unit.

It will target three MEMS markets: accelerometers, gyroscopes and RF. It will reportedly offer a MEMS-on-CMOS process within its 200-mm fabs.

GlobalFoundries will complete its MEMS infrastructure by the end of this year. Risk production is due in 2011.        

Other CMOS foundries, such as TSMC, UMC, X-Fab and others, are offering MEMS foundry services.