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ElevATE, GF partner on commercial and national security HV chips

Jessie Shen, DIGITIMES Asia, Taipei 0

Credit: AFP

ElevATE Semiconductor and GlobalFoundries (GF) have announced a manufacturing partnership for high-voltage chips produced at GF's facility in Essex Junction, Vermont. Designed by ElevATE and manufactured at scale by GF on its proven and power-efficient 7HV technology platform, the chips are vital to commercial semiconductor testing equipment and critical applications for aerospace and defense systems.

The mature-node chips, manufactured on 200mm wafers at GF's Vermont fab, combine power management and wireless sensing capabilities to provide the performance, design flexibility, and power efficiency required by a variety of electronic devices in national security systems. The 7HV platform is cost and performance-optimized, with a comprehensive set of features and options, well-defined design tools, and proven manufacturing reliability and yields.

ElevATE and GF are working together to restart 7HV chip production and meet the expectations of commercial clients as well as the aerospace and defense industries. The reintroduction of the 7HV platform will save clients money, time, and the difficulty of rebuilding their products using a different chip technology. The new supply will add to the success of the millions of 7HV chips previously produced at GF's Vermont fab.

"This collaboration marks a significant transformation in ElevATE's production strategy, transitioning its fabrication processes to GlobalFoundries," said Anil Kodali, VP of operations and quality assurance at ElevATE. "With GF as our manufacturing partner, we can be sure of a robust and reliable source of supply, enabling us to meet the escalating demands of our customers in terms of volume, quality, and time-to-market."

"As the leading supplier of essential chips for the U.S. aerospace and defense industry and a longstanding partner to the Department of Defense, GF goes above and beyond to ensure our national security customers have the chips they need, manufactured where they want them, with the right level of security," noted Nicholas Sergeant, VP and head of aerospace, defense, and critical infrastructure at GF.

GF's Vermont fab was among the first major semiconductor manufacturing sites in the US. Currently, around 1,800 GF employees work at the site.

Built on GF's differentiated technologies, these chips are used in smartphones, automobiles, and communications infrastructure applications all around the world. The facility is a DMEA-accredited Trusted Foundry that manufactures secure chips in partnership with the US government.