U.S. Government Grants GlobalFoundries $3.1B Contract to Safeguard Chip Production for a Decade

GlobalFoundries (GF), a leading semiconductor manufacturer, has been awarded a 10-year contract by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to supply domestically manufactured semiconductors for critical aerospace and defense applications. The initial award of $17.3 million marks the beginning of a partnership that could reach a spending ceiling of $3.1 billion over the next decade.

Under this contract, the DoD and its contractors will have access to GF’s semiconductor technologies produced at its highly secure U.S. facilities. These facilities are accredited by the DoD to the highest security level, Trusted Supplier Category 1A, ensuring that sensitive information is protected and chips are manufactured with utmost integrity.

Beyond secure chip manufacturing, the contract also grants the DoD and its contractors access to GF’s comprehensive design ecosystem, intellectual property libraries, early access to emerging technologies, efficient prototyping, and large-scale volume manufacturing capabilities.

The Defense Microelectronics Activity (DMEA) Trusted Access Program Office (TAPO) awarded this contract, solidifying GF’s position as a trusted supplier to the U.S. government. Mike Cadigan, chief corporate and government affairs officer at GF, expressed pride in the partnership and emphasized the scalability and efficiency of GF’s advanced technologies, which meet the specific security requirements of each program.

This 10-year contract represents the third consecutive agreement of its kind between the DoD and GF’s Trusted Foundry business team. It reinforces the longstanding collaboration between the department and the company, highlighting GF’s commitment to providing essential chips for the U.S. aerospace and defense industry.

For more information on GF’s Trusted Foundry accreditations and their significance in the industry, click here.

Technology Explained

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Foundry: A foundry is a dedicated manufacturing facility focused on producing semiconductor components like integrated circuits (ICs) for external clients. These foundries are pivotal in the semiconductor industry, providing diverse manufacturing processes and technologies to create chips based on designs from fabless semiconductor firms or other customers. This setup empowers companies to concentrate on innovative design without needing substantial investments in manufacturing infrastructure. Some well-known foundries include TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company), Samsung Foundry, GlobalFoundries, and UMC (United Microelectronics Corporation).