The Foundry Company details processing roadmap
SPEAKING AT AN AMD investor conference yesterday, Doug Grose, chief exec of the fledgling Foundry Company - AMD’s manufacturing spin-off - spoke of upcoming plans for the firm’s Dresden fabs.
Without beating around the bush, Grose noted capital spending next year would likely reach some $900 million for tooling up and getting things underway at Fab 38, which the firm expects to start mass production by 2010.
Fab 36 will also be getting some cash thrown its way, mainly to fund its conversion to 45nm process technology, and Fab 4X - expected to go live in 2012, with 22nm process tech - will need funding as well. Some estimates reckon total spending on Fab 4X could come to around $4 billion.
Setting up a Fab, however, isn’t all about the operational side of things, and Grose was quick to point out that another $300 million would have to be earmarked for R&D, marketing and sales, design enablement and IT costs.
The Foundry Co (Daamit FC) certainly can’t be faulted for a lack of ambition in its plans for Fab 36. The firm hopes the Fab will run at over 25,000 Wafer Starts Per Month (WSPM) from 2009, or even 300,000 300mm wafers in the first year. From 2010, Grose said he hopes this capacity would grow to 400,000 wafers a year, while Fab 36’s sister manufacturing facility, Fab 38, ramps at a total cost of $2 billion and reaches a capacity of 25,000 wspm.
Fab 38 should also have its 32nm Bulk CMOS process – initially aimed at GPU production for AMD – up and running by the fourth quarter of next year.
Trying to get a head start on its rivals – namely TSMC, UMC, SMIC and Chartered - Daamit FC is apparently planning on opening a 32nm Bulk CMOS HKMG low power option in the first half of 2010.
Similarly, at Fab 36, another 32nm SOI high performance process using high-k and metal gates (HKMG) should start running also in early 2010 for AMD’s microprocessors.
This would be only 15 months after The Foundry Co started volume producing at 45nm if all goes according to plan. µ
L'Inq
Fabtech
Share this:
ShareBusiness Intelligence Software
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
Enterprise Accounting Software
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
Enterprise Systems Management
Yeow, thought DJIA might be last wound, yet luckily, by end of day, Alls Well.

Ultee' feels SO Much More competent Now & Sounds like AMD Flag is Rising to New Height, Leading Edge Processors & Chips. I'm Glad, As World+DOG Both Need AMD.
TS Drashek
I've read that Intel is "studying" The Foundry Co. setup, but I haven't seen their final OK. Has Intel approved the deal? Also, are their any other hurdles? - such as National Security? Thanks, Erin
The Foundry company does not need Intel's OK - it is merely manufacturing parts. On the other hand the x86 license states that AMD can't outsource more than 20% of it's CPU production, so AMD design is operating in a very gray area.

While AMD has equal voting rights, they have a minority (44%) stake in the foundry company, so some may consider this to be outsourcing of CPU production. Think of it this way, if AMD owned a 1% stake in TSMC could they then say they are not outsourcing (had they gone that route)? 

The 44% stake vs equal voting is the gray area - AMD will claim they "control" the foundry company and thus are not outsourcing.and thus not violating the x86 license. However, others may argue a 44% equity stake is not a controlling interest.

The other hurdle which is not reported on much is apparently the good old boy network in NY state is on board with this and have no problem pasing the 1.2Bil NY fab subsidy on to the new company. 

Apparently the Dems in that state have no issue with the new company being incorporated OFFSHORE to avoid some US corporate taxes. Yes there are the same Democrats who rail about companies abusing corporate loopholes - I guess if it benefits their own home state those "principles" are for sale! (Thank you Schumer, Clinton, et al)