[News] GlobalFoundries Acquires Singapore-Based AMF, Becoming Largest Pure-Play Silicon Photonics Foundry

GlobalFoundries today announced its acquisition of Advanced Micro Foundry (AMF), a Singapore-based silicon photonics foundry. According to the company’s press release, the deal positions GlobalFoundries as the largest pure-play silicon photonics foundry by revenue. The company did not disclose the financial terms of the transaction, as Reuters notes.

In line with the acquisition, GlobalFoundries plans to establish a silicon photonics research and development Center of Excellence (CoE) in Singapore, as stated in its press release. The CoE will collaborate with the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore’s lead public-sector R&D agency, to advance its innovation roadmap by developing next-generation materials that enable ultra-fast 400Gbps data transfer.

The company is also expected to leverage AMF’s manufacturing capabilities to meet rising demand in long-haul optical communications, computing, LiDAR, and sensing through the 200mm platform in Singapore, with plans to expand to 300mm. This expansion aims to support global supply for AI datacenters, communications infrastructure, and other next-generation applications.

Reuters notes that GlobalFoundries is already a significant player in silicon photonics, supporting startups such as PsiQuantum, which is building a photonics-based quantum computer in Chicago. In addition, the report points out that several well-funded Silicon Valley startups—including Ayar Labs, Celestial AI, and Lightmatter—are developing optical interconnects that link chips using light, with some of them relying on GlobalFoundries as their manufacturing partner.

Meanwhile, CRN highlights that the acquisition of Singapore-based AMF comes at a notable moment, as supply chain risks, tariffs, and geopolitical tensions continue to reshape the semiconductor industry. While GlobalFoundries expands its silicon photonics manufacturing capacity in New York, the acquisition also accelerates the expansion of its Singapore operations.

Silicon photonics is rapidly emerging as a critical technology for AI datacenters and quantum computing, according to Reuters. It enables traditional computing chips to be integrated with optical networking components that transmit data using pulses of light. The field is accelerating, with NVIDIA collaborating with TSMC to package some of its networking chips together with optical connections.

Read more

• [News] GlobalFoundries Licenses TSMC’s 650V, 80V GaN Tech in Sign of Foundry Leader’s Retreat
• What Is ‘Silicon Photonics’? Why Intel, TSMC, NVIDIA, Apple Are Investing

(Photo credit: GlobalFoundries)