In August 2018, GlobalFoundries, which has been AMD's main CPU manufacturer since its founding in 2009, abruptly announced that it was phasing out 7nm and thinner processes. She motivated her decision to a greater extent by economic justifications, and not by technological problems. In other words, it could continue to master the cutting-edge lithographic standards, but it would come at a cost level that shareholders would consider unjustified. The subsequent sale of some non-essential assets only reinforced the belief that GlobalFoundries was in financial trouble. The attack on TSMC in the form of a patent lawsuit also indicated a state of affairs close to a mild degree of desperation.
Meanwhile, at the stage of formation of independent activities of GlobalFoundries as a contract manufacturer, Arab shareholders hatched plans to build in the UAE not only a research center, but also a silicon wafer processing facility. These plans were not destined to come true. However, even now it cannot be argued that GlobalFoundries has completely abandoned its technological ambitions - this week it announced that second-generation 12-nm products will be on the conveyor by 2021, and the corresponding products will not be inferior to 7-nm competitor solutions in many criteria, such as company representatives say.
Edition reported, citing CEO Thomas Caulfield, that GlobalFoundries expects to go public in 2022. As a rule, companies take such a step to obtain additional financing - one gets the impression that the flows of petrodollars that fueled this manufacturer in the first ten years of its existence have begun to dwindle at a critical rate.
Whether the proceeds from the IPO will be used to develop advanced technical processes is not specified, but from the comments of the head of GlobalFoundries it becomes clear that the company is ready to expand production facilities, which will produce components for smartphones, cars and "smart" devices permanently connected to the global network . Apparently, AMD is already ceasing to be a strategically important partner in the company's new development strategy, although the current agreement between the companies implies continued product deliveries until March 2024.
Source: 3dnews.ru