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GlobalFoundries signs five-year silicon interposer deal with TSMC
The agreement targets a volume production ramp in the first half of 2028 as AI chips push packaging technology to its limits
GlobalFoundries has signed a five-year silicon interposer manufacturing agreement with TSMC. Volume production under the deal is expected to ramp in the first half of 2028.
What the two chipmakers agreed to
The partnership centers on silicon interposers. Think of an interposer as a high-speed wiring board made of silicon that lets several chips sit side by side and talk to each other as if they were one.
Technically, interposers carry dense routing and vertical connections that link processors, memory, and other dies inside a single package. That approach is usually called 2.5D or 3D heterogeneous integration.
For GlobalFoundries, the deal builds on its 65PKG silicon interposer platform, which is already production-qualified. The process is rated TRL9, the top of the technology readiness scale, meaning it is past the lab stage and ready for real manufacturing.
The 65PKG platform includes through-silicon vias measuring 10Āµm x 100Āµm, along with multi-layer copper routing. Those vias are tiny vertical tunnels that carry signals and power straight through the silicon, rather than around it.
The work runs out of GlobalFoundries’ facility in Malta, New York. The platform is designed to support heterogeneous integration, connecting chips built on different technologies into a single working unit.
Financial specifics have not been disclosed. Neither company has publicly shared customer identities, pricing, or capacity commitments tied to the agreement.
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Why interposers suddenly matter so much
AI and high-performance computing workloads require processors and memory packed extremely close together, moving huge volumes of data with minimal delay. Conventional organic substrates are becoming inadequate for those demands. Silicon interposers can handle far finer wiring, which makes them a natural fit for the job.
TSMC is widely recognized as the leader in high-volume advanced packaging through its CoWoS technology. CoWoS relies on large silicon interposers and supports interposers up to 2,700 mmĀ².
The US manufacturing angle
GlobalFoundries has been positioning itself as a secure, US-based manufacturing option, backed by the CHIPS Act and a series of partnerships aimed at expanding domestic semiconductor production.
The company has received significant CHIPS Act funding. That includes $375 million finalized in 2026 for quantum technology.
GlobalFoundries is also engaged in additional collaborations, including a GaN technology licensing agreement slated for 2025.
What this means for the packaging race
The 2028 timeline deserves attention. A ramp expected in the first half of that year means the revenue impact, if any, is still a couple of years out.
Without disclosed capacity commitments, customer names, or pricing, it is difficult to size the opportunity for either company. Future disclosures on those points will be the clearest signal of how much this partnership actually moves the needle.
Key milestones to track include any announcement of customers using the interposer capacity, updates on Malta production volumes, and whether the first-half 2028 ramp stays on schedule.