Globalfoundries to implement ITAR and strict security assurances at New York fab

Globalfoundries has announced plans to implement export control security measures at its most advanced manufacturing facility, Fab 8, in Malta, New York. GF will bring its Fab 8 facility into compliance with both the US International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) standards and the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), making the company the most advanced ITAR foundry in the country.

By taking this significant step, GF deepens its partnership with the US Department of Defense (DoD) and the US defense industrial base, and further supports ongoing development of new assurance approaches in support of national security objectives. These new control assurances, which will go into effect later this year, will make confidentiality and integrity protections available for defense-related applications, devices or components manufactured at GF's Fab 8 facility.

GF also disclosed that to date, it has invested over US$13 billion in Fab 8.

"In partnership with GF, New York State leads the nation in secure semiconductor manufacturing," said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer in a statement issued by GF.

In the same statement, GF CEO Tom Caulfield said that "as a leading innovator and vital supplier of differentiated technologies, adding these capabilities enables GF to develop and manufacture secure solutions for the US defense industrial base."

"GF is a longtime supplier of ITAR and highly restricted EAR microelectronics," Caulfield continued. "Today's announcement strengthens our ability to partner with the industry and the US government to ensure America has the manufacturing capability it needs to supply semiconductors to its most secure and sensitive industries."

As a longtime supplier of microelectronics to the DoD, GF said it is well positioned to support secure government programs at its Trusted facilities - Fab 9 in Burlington, Vermont, and Fab 10 in East Fishkill, New York - while working with the DoD on next-generation assurance approaches at its Fab 8 facility in upstate New York. GF's Fab 8 employs nearly 3,000 people and has the available infrastructure and floor space needed to take on the responsibility of an immediate secure manufacturing approach.

In addition, GF announced previously its factory site in Dresden has been certified by the German Federal Office for Information Security to produce chips for financial transactions, smart cards, digital IDs as well as other products and applications for the public sector or industries that require an extra level of security and integrity in the production process.

In an April 27 release, GF indicated the Dresden unit has invested a single-digit million Euro amount over the last two years to upgrade its security and IT systems to the highest levels. The Dutch semiconductor company NXP has been a key driver of the certification process at GF's site in Germany. The Dresden Fab joins GF's Singapore and United States facilities in accreditation to the highest industry, client and government criteria for secure manufacturing as part of the company's trusted GF Shield program, according to the company.

On the other hand, various media reports in China quoted unspecified sources as saying GF has already stopped operations at its joint-venture fab in Chengdu. GF has not published any announcements regarding to the Chengdu fab since October 2018, when the US foundry announced that it and the Chengdu municipality signed an amendment to their investment and cooperation agreement under which the JV fab will be equipped only for FD-SOI processes.