Ayar Labs hits key milestone for chip-to-chip optical connectivity

In Focus: GlobalFoundries

GlobalFoundries

GlobalFoundries is a contract semiconductor manufacturer focused on differentiated process technologies for automotive, communications, industrial, aerospace and defense, IoT, data center, and AI infrastructure markets.

Overview

GlobalFoundries, commonly known as GF, operates semiconductor manufacturing facilities across the United States, Europe, and Asia. The company focuses on feature-rich, differentiated technologies rather than leading-edge logic alone, including RF, embedded memory, silicon photonics, FD-SOI, power, mixed-signal, and secure manufacturing platforms.

Why It Matters

GF is strategically relevant to AI infrastructure and networking because many systems depend on specialized semiconductors beyond GPUs, including optical interconnects, RF front ends, power management, secure chips, embedded control, and high-volume mixed-signal devices. Its silicon photonics and 22FDX platforms are particularly relevant to bandwidth density, power efficiency, edge AI, and future co-packaged optics architectures.

Founded

2009, following the separation of AMD’s manufacturing operations.

Headquarters

Malta, New York, USA

CEO / Key Leadership

Tim Breen, Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Thomas Caulfield serves as Executive Chairman.

Core Technologies

Silicon Photonics 22FDX FD-SOI RF-CMOS Embedded Memory Power & GaN Secure Semiconductors

Key Products / Platforms

GF Fotonix silicon photonics platform; 22FDX FD-SOI platform; RF SOI and RF-CMOS technologies; embedded non-volatile memory; automotive-qualified manufacturing platforms; advanced packaging and heterogeneous integration capabilities; secure and trusted manufacturing services for aerospace and defense applications.

Funding / Major Milestone

GlobalFoundries completed its IPO in 2021. In 2025, GF announced a $16 billion U.S. investment plan focused on expanding domestic semiconductor manufacturing and technology development, including capacity and platform investments tied to AI, automotive, aerospace and defense, communications, and industrial markets.

Target Markets

AI Infrastructure, Data Centers, Optical, Optical I/O, Silicon Photonics, Co-Packaged Optics, Semiconductors, automotive, aerospace and defense, industrial IoT, smart mobile devices, communications infrastructure, and secure electronics.

Editorial Coverage

Converge Digest coverage of GlobalFoundries typically centers on semiconductor manufacturing strategy, silicon photonics, AI infrastructure supply chains, secure chip production, FD-SOI, RF, automotive chips, and partnerships involving advanced packaging, quantum, post-quantum security, and optical interconnects.

Industry Context

GF occupies a differentiated foundry position: it is not primarily competing at the most advanced GPU logic node, but instead supplies manufacturing platforms used in high-volume, power-sensitive, RF-intensive, optical, secure, and mixed-signal systems. That role is increasingly relevant as AI infrastructure expands demand for photonics, power efficiency, connectivity, sensing, and trusted supply chains.

Related Knowledge Hubs

GlobalFoundries • Semiconductors • AI Infrastructure • Silicon Photonics • Co-Packaged Optics • Optical

Profile Updated

July 2026