GlobalFoundries (GFS) — Silicon Photonics Research
Through March 2026. All claims sourced with dates and URLs.
1. AMF (Advanced Micro Foundry) Acquisition & Integration
Acquisition announced November 17, 2025. NOT 2023 — that was likely earlier speculation or a different event. The actual deal closed in late 2025.
Key Facts
- Target: Advanced Micro Foundry (AMF), Singapore-based silicon photonics foundry with 15+ years of manufacturing expertise
- Financial terms: Not disclosed. AMF is forecast to contribute >$75 million revenue to the combined entity in 2026
- AMF brought 300+ customers, primarily in Asia, spanning optical communications, quantum computing, LiDAR, and automotive connectivity
- AMF operated on a 200mm platform at a government research site with limited expansion capacity
- GF's Singapore campus has large-scale 200mm and 300mm wafer capacity, removing AMF's bottleneck
Integration Milestones
- R&D Center of Excellence being established in Singapore, partnering with A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research)
- R&D focus: next-generation materials for 400Gbps ultra-fast data transfer
- AMF's technology strengths in coherent optics for long-haul applications exceed what GF had independently — real technology transfer value
- Pathfinding work on thin-film lithium niobate, barium titanate, and advanced polymers for higher baud rates (from AMF's IP)
- Plans to scale AMF's 200mm production to 300mm as market demand grows
- GF now claims title of "largest pure-play silicon photonics foundry by revenue"
Second Acquisition: InfiniLink
- Also acquired InfiniLink (Cairo, Egypt-based startup) specializing in advanced optical data connectivity chips
- Brings in-house SerDes and optical transceiver design expertise
- Enables GF to offer end-to-end photonics solutions — from design IP and reference designs to process, PDKs, to packaged modules
- Combined with AMF, GF can deliver complete optical engine modules for both pluggable and co-packaged optics (CPO)
Sources:
- GF Press Release — AMF Acquisition (Nov 17, 2025)
- GF Blog — AMF and InfiniLink
- Gazettabyte — GF SiPho Push After AMF
- TrendForce — Largest Pure-Play SiPho Foundry
- Semiconductor Today — AMF Acquisition
2. GF Fotonix Platform Updates
Platform Architecture
GF Fotonix is GF's monolithic 300mm silicon photonics platform — the first in the industry to combine differentiated photonics features with 300GHz-class RF-CMOS on a single silicon wafer. Launched in 2022 at 100G per wavelength.
Next-Generation Fotonix (Showcased at OFC 2025, April 1-3, San Francisco)
Bandwidth upgrade:
- 200G/lambda — doubled from the original 100G/lambda capability
- Supports PAM4 signaling
- Roadmap targets 400G/lambda solutions
Active component improvements:
- Upgraded modulators: micro-ring, Mach-Zehnder, and Ring Assisted Mach-Zehnder variants
- Upgraded photodiodes and transistors for monolithic integration
- Enhanced modulator bank yield for multi-lambda "slow and wide" architectures
Passive component improvements:
- V-groove pitch reduced from 250um to 127um — 2x higher optical beachfront density
- Silicon nitride (SiN) spot-size converters — >4x improvement in power handling capacity
PDK capabilities:
- Integrated photonics + RF CMOS or photonics-only flow options
- Free-form passive component design support
- Native custom device design via industry-leading device simulator files
- Both CWDM and DWDM multiplexing component libraries
- PDK 1.0 originally available April 2022; continuously updated since
Advanced integration features:
- Through-silicon vias (TSVs) enabling 2.5D/3D stacking of electrical ICs atop photonic ICs
- Supports 3nm electronic ICs with high-density pitch
- Wafer-level and die-level detachable fiber attach solutions (demonstrated at OFC 2025)
Manufacturing tracks:
- Monolithic integration — CMOS + RF + photonics on single chip
- Photonics-only flow — fewer mask steps, lower cycle time, supports advanced packaging stacks (customers can source electronic ICs from other foundries)
Design Ecosystem Partners
- Enosemi (Sept 2024): Silicon-validated electronic-photonic design IP in GF Fotonix IP catalog. Includes 100G PAM4 modulator drivers, TIAs, modulators, integrated control systems
- StarIC (2024): High-speed foundational block library for GF Fotonix 45SPCLO process. Silicon-proven MRM drivers and TIAs targeting NRZ and PAM4 data rates exceeding 100GS/s
- Corning (Sept 2025): Glass-waveguide based detachable fiber connector solutions for CPO, demonstrated at ECOC 2025
Sources:
- GF Blog — Next-Gen Fotonix (OFC 2025)
- GF Silicon Photonics Platform Page
- Enosemi + GF Fotonix IP Announcement (Sept 2024)
- StarIC + GF Partnership
- Corning + GF Collaboration (Sept 2025)
3. Fab Capacity & CHIPS Act Funding
Clarification: GF9 vs. Fab 8 vs. Essex Junction
- Fab 8 (Malta, New York) — GF's flagship 300mm fab. This is where GF Fotonix SiPho manufacturing happens and where the new Advanced Packaging and Photonics Center is being built
- Essex Junction (Vermont) — GF's 200mm fab, focused on GaN, trusted/defense work. Gets some SiPho R&D but is NOT the primary SiPho production site
Advanced Packaging and Photonics Center (Malta, NY)
Announced January 17, 2025. First-of-its-kind facility in the U.S.
- Investment: $575 million for the center + $186 million for R&D over 10+ years
- Federal support: Up to $75 million from CHIPS Act
- State support: Up to $20 million from New York State (on top of prior $550M from Green CHIPS program)
- Capabilities:
- Full turnkey SiPho advanced packaging, assembly, and testing
- Wafer-to-wafer bonding for 3D/HI chips
- Trusted Foundry accreditation for aerospace/defense
- Goal: Enable semiconductors to be manufactured, processed, packaged, and tested entirely onshore in the U.S.
$16 Billion U.S. Investment Plan (June 4, 2025)
- $13B+ to expand and modernize New York and Vermont facilities
- $3B for advanced R&D in packaging innovation, silicon photonics, and next-gen GaN
- Partners cited: Apple, SpaceX, AMD, Qualcomm, NXP, GM
- Total wafer capacity target: >1 million wafers annually by 2028 at Dresden facility alone
CHIPS Act Funding (for all GF U.S. operations)
- Up to $1.587 billion in total CHIPS Act direct funding
- Supporting $14B+ in capital investment over 10+ years across NY and VT
- Vermont-specific: $125 million federal + ~$130M in CHIPS + state funding for Essex Junction modernization
Vermont Fab (Essex Junction) — SiPho Relevance
- Primarily focused on GaN on Silicon (first U.S. fab for high-volume GaN manufacturing)
- Some SiPho R&D happens here, but production-scale SiPho is at Malta
- $3B R&D budget covers "packaging innovation, silicon photonics, and next-generation GaN technologies" across both sites
Sources:
- GF Press Release — Advanced Packaging and Photonics Center (Jan 17, 2025)
- GF Press Release — $16B U.S. Investment (June 4, 2025)
- Governor Hochul Announcement — Photonics Center
- NIST CHIPS — GlobalFoundries Vermont
- GF CHIPS Act Funding Announcement
- Semiconductor Today — $3B R&D for SiPho/Packaging/GaN
4. Customer & Design Wins
Tier-1 Platform Partners (announced at GF Fotonix launch, March 2022; relationships ongoing)
| Customer | Focus Area |
|---|---|
| Broadcom | Optical solutions for networking switches, CPO research |
| Cisco | Custom SiPho for DCN/DCI applications (notable — Cisco also uses TSMC) |
| Marvell | TIAs and modulator drivers for optical transceivers |
| NVIDIA | High-bandwidth, low-power optical interconnects for data centers |
| MACOM | Telecoms, defense, data center applications |
| Ayar Labs | Monolithic electronic/photonic chip-to-chip optical I/O |
| Lightmatter | Photonic compute technology |
| Ranovus | SiPho IP cores and chiplets |
Quantum Computing Customers
| Customer | Focus Area |
|---|---|
| PsiQuantum | Manufacturing quantum chips on SOI substrates (Chicago fab) |
| Xanadu | Quantum computing hardware |
Design Ecosystem Partners
| Partner | Contribution |
|---|---|
| Ansys | Simulation tools |
| Cadence | EDA tools |
| Synopsys | EDA tools (GF also acquired Synopsys' processor IP business) |
| Enosemi | Silicon-validated 100G PAM4 IP blocks |
| StarIC | High-speed TIA and driver library for 45SPCLO |
| Corning | Detachable fiber connectors for CPO |
| Flexcompute | Photonic device design tools linked to manufacturing stack |
Post-AMF Customer Expansion
- AMF brought 300+ customers, primarily in Asia
- GF's Kevin Soukup noted (per Gazettabyte): "We see customers that don't have an optics strategy coming to GlobalFoundries now" — indicating an inflection point driven by AI/CPO demand
What I Could NOT Confirm
- No specific LiDAR customer names announced publicly — LiDAR is mentioned as a target market but no named design wins
- No specific biosensing customer names found — sensing is listed as an addressable market but no public announcements
- No detailed breakdown of which customers have completed tape-outs vs. are in design phase
Sources:
- GF Press Release — Fotonix Launch with Industry Partners (March 2022)
- Gazettabyte — Customer Momentum Post-AMF
- Quantum Insider — PsiQuantum/Xanadu
5. Revenue Contribution
Silicon Photonics Revenue
| Period | SiPho Revenue | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2024 | ~$100M (implied) | — | Implied from "doubled in 2025" |
| FY2025 | >$200M | ~2x YoY | Q4 2025 earnings call |
| FY2026E | ~$400M (implied) | "nearly double again" | Q4 2025 guidance |
| FY2028E target | $1B run-rate | Accelerated from prior target | CEO Tim Breen, Q4 2025 call |
| AMF 2026 contribution | >$75M | Incremental to above | AMF acquisition press release |
As Percentage of Total Revenue
- FY2025 total revenue: $6.791 billion
- SiPho at >$200M = roughly 3% of total revenue
- Communications infrastructure & data center (the segment containing SiPho): 11% of FY2025 revenue, 12% of Q4
- Q4 comms/DC segment grew 29% sequentially, 32% YoY
- Full-year comms/DC segment grew 29% YoY (above prior guidance of low-20s% growth)
Segment Context
- Automotive + comms/DC together = record one-third of total revenue in 2025, up from ~27% prior year
- SiPho is described as the fastest-growing component within the comms/DC segment
- CEO quote: "We are on a path to reach a $1 billion run-rate revenue level for silicon photonics by 2028, a substantial acceleration from our prior objective"
- AMF acquisition expected to be "consistent accretive growth to our corporate gross margin targets in 2026"
Wafer Volume
- 2025: ~2.3 million 300mm-equivalent wafers shipped (10% increase from 2024)
- Utilization: ~85% for 2025
Sources:
- Motley Fool — GFS Q4 2025 Earnings Transcript (Feb 11, 2026)
- GFS Q4 2025 Financial Results
- TelecomLead — SiPho Revenue Doubles
6. Competitive Positioning (as of Early 2026)
The Four-Way Race
| Foundry | Approach | Status | Key Differentiator |
|---|---|---|---|
| GlobalFoundries | Monolithic SiPho (Fotonix) + acquisitions (AMF, InfiniLink) | Production. >$200M revenue in 2025 | Largest pure-play SiPho foundry. End-to-end from design to packaged module. Dual-track (monolithic or photonics-only) |
| TSMC | COUPE packaging technology + CoWoS integration | Qualifying pluggables 2025, CPO mass production targeted 2026 | Massive scale advantage. Integrating SiPho into existing CoWoS advanced packaging. Most patent filings (50 in 2024) |
| Tower Semiconductor | Organic capacity expansion (200mm US/Israel + 300mm Japan) | $52M SiPho revenue in Q3 2025 (~70% YoY growth) | Tripling capacity by mid-2026, 5x by Dec 2026. $920M total SiPho investment. Plans to challenge GF for #1 |
| Intel | Pioneer but declining patent output, still in R&D/demo stage for CPO | Patent filings falling (26 in 2024, down from 46 in 2023) | Has deep IP history but restructuring has slowed execution. Not competitive on production timeline |
GF's Competitive Advantages
- Only monolithic platform combining photonics + 300GHz RF-CMOS on 300mm — competitors either use separate chips or are behind on integration
- Broadest customer base after AMF acquisition (300+ customers from AMF alone, plus Fotonix customers)
- Global manufacturing footprint — U.S. (Malta, NY), Singapore, Dresden — supply chain diversification matters to customers
- End-to-end capability post-InfiniLink — from design IP through to packaged optical engine modules
- First U.S. photonics packaging center — onshore manufacturing, processing, packaging, and testing for defense/aerospace
GF's Competitive Risks
- TSMC's entry is the big threat. TSMC brings massive scale, CoWoS integration, and relationships with the same customers (Broadcom, Nvidia, etc.). COUPE mass production in 2026 could shift the market
- Tower is growing faster organically — 5x capacity increase by end of 2026 is aggressive
- GF doesn't manufacture the most advanced logic nodes — customers needing 3nm EICs must still go to TSMC/Samsung, then co-package with GF's photonic ICs
- Intel, while weakened, has deep IP and could re-enter aggressively if its foundry business stabilizes
Industry Context
- LightCounting called 2026 "The Year of Silicon Photonics"
- Global SiPho chip production capacity expected to increase >80% YoY in 2026
- CPO market forecast to grow at 37% CAGR to $20B by 2036
- Demand expected to outstrip supply through at least 2027
Sources:
- TrendForce — Intel Loses SiPho Lead to TSMC
- TrendForce — TSMC COUPE at SEMICON Taiwan
- Tower Semiconductor — CPO Foundry Technology (Nov 2025)
- LightCounting — 2026 Year of Silicon Photonics
- Calcalist — Tower Record Quarter, SiPho Growth
- 36kr — Silicon Photonics Foundry War
Timeline of Key Events
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Mar 2022 | GF Fotonix launched with 10+ industry partners, PDK 1.0 available |
| Sep 2024 | Enosemi releases silicon-validated IP for Fotonix |
| 2024 | StarIC partnership and IP library for 45SPCLO process |
| Jan 17, 2025 | Advanced Packaging and Photonics Center announced (Malta, NY) |
| Apr 1-3, 2025 | Next-gen Fotonix showcased at OFC 2025 (200G/lambda, TSVs, fiber attach) |
| Jun 4, 2025 | $16B U.S. investment plan announced |
| Sep 2025 | Corning detachable fiber connector partnership announced; ECOC 2025 demo |
| Nov 17, 2025 | AMF acquisition announced |
| Nov 2025 | InfiniLink acquisition announced |
| Feb 11, 2026 | Q4 2025 earnings: SiPho >$200M revenue, "nearly double again" in 2026 |
| Mar 2026 | GF positions SiPho as "must-have connectivity layer" for AI data centers |
Topics
- ai-infrastructure
- optical-components
- critical-minerals
- green-finance
Briefings
- 2026-03-25 · GlobalFoundries (GFS) · vault
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