GlobalFoundries Acquires Advanced Micro Foundry, Accelerating Silicon Photonics Global Leadership and Expanding AI Infrastructure Portfolio

Core Insights - GlobalFoundries (GF) has acquired Advanced Micro Foundry (AMF), enhancing its position in silicon photonics and expanding its technology portfolio and production capacity in Singapore [1][2][4] - The acquisition positions GF as the largest silicon photonics pure-play foundry by revenue, leveraging AMF's manufacturing assets and intellectual property [2][5] - GF aims to establish a silicon photonics research and development center in Singapore, collaborating with A*STAR to innovate in ultra-fast data transfer technologies [4][6] Company Strategy - The acquisition is a strategic move to address the growing demands in long-haul optical communications, computing, LiDAR, and sensing, with plans to scale production from 200mm to 300mm [2][3] - GF's expansion in Singapore complements its existing U.S. manufacturing capabilities, enhancing supply chain resilience and providing secure solutions from multiple geographies [3][4] - The focus on silicon photonics technology is critical for AI infrastructure, enabling faster data transfer and supporting advanced telecom networks [4][5] Market Position - AMF's expertise and technology will allow GF to deliver a differentiated roadmap for pluggable transceivers and co-packaged optics, targeting adjacent markets such as automotive and quantum computing [4][5] - The collaboration with AMF is expected to enhance GF's ability to meet the needs of AI datacenters and next-generation applications [2][4] - The acquisition reflects a broader trend in the industry towards silicon photonics as a solution to the limitations of traditional copper connections [3][4]