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The $236 million deal includes all of GlobalFoundries' MEMS business in addition to Fab 3E in Tampines, Singapore.
“This transaction is part of our strategy to streamline our global manufacturing footprint and increase our focus in Singapore on technologies where we have clear differentiation such as RF, embedded memory and advanced analog features,” said GF CEO Tom Caulfield. “Consolidating our 200mm operations in Singapore into one campus will also help reduce our operating costs by leveraging the scale of our gigafab facility in Woodlands. VIS is the right partner to leverage the Fab 3E asset going forward.”
VIS (Vanguard International Semiconductor) was started by TSMC, Morris Chang, and 13 other companies in 1994. As of 12/31/2017, TSMC still holds 28.32% of VIS. So in this particular fab sale, GF and TSMC is helping each other even though they are competing with each other in the foundry business. It really is a small world after all.
VIS (Vanguard International Semiconductor) was started by TSMC, Morris Chang, and 13 other companies in 1994. As of 12/31/2017, TSMC still holds 28.32% of VIS. So in this particular fab sale, GF and TSMC is helping each other even though they are competing with each other in the foundry business. It really is a small world after all.
I can't imagine why any semi company would abandon MEMS and the chance to spread their costs over a much larger base. MEMS are still in their early stages and will be as big as the semi sector in the future. The use of MEMS in almost every field is still in their early stages and MEMS and semis used together will drive both markets together, each feeding demand for the other. I have no doubt TSM will be the leader in MEMS of numerous types, just as it is with semis. This combination will only build on their strengths by further leveraging their IP, business talent, engineering prowess and economic resources while making their partnerships with their customers far more valuable to both sides. If handled properly and strategically, I can easily see TSM's growth rate accelerating. TSM's focus of treating customers like partners as Morris Chang has said on occasion, will play a major part in this. MEMS will become even more of a power in medical as they already have with genetic code readers an example of creating an entirely new industry on a large scale. Combine the real world access MEMS will give AI/ML and we will see our world change in ways most can't even imagine. Already they say since you can trace almost everyone since genetic systems can find you through even second and third cousins the world will change as the last vestiges of privacy disappear.
