GlobalFoundries and MIT collaborate on semiconductors for AI
The first projects in the partnership aims to leverage GF’s silicon photonics technology, which the company says delivers ultra-low power consumption for intelligent devices at the edge
GlobalFoundries and MIT have announced a new master research agreement to jointly pursue advancements and innovations for enhancing the performance and efficiency of critical semiconductor technologies. The collaboration will be led by MIT’s Microsystems Technology Laboratories (MTL) and GF’s research and development team, GF Labs.
With an initial research focus on AI and other applications, GF says the first projects are expected to leverage its differentiated silicon photonics technology, which monolithically integrates RF SOI, CMOS, and optical features on a single chip to realise power efficiencies for datacentres, and GF’s 22FDX platform, which delivers ultra-low power consumption for intelligent devices at the edge, according to the company.
“The collaboration between MIT MTL and GF exemplifies the power of academia-industry cooperation in tackling the most pressing challenges in semiconductor research,” said Tomás Palacios, MTL director and Clarence J. LeBel Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Palacios will serve as the MIT faculty lead for this research initiative.
Gregg Bartlett, chief technology officer at GF, commented: “By bringing together MIT's world-renowned capabilities with GF's leading semiconductor platforms, we are positioned to drive significant research advancements in GF’s essential chip technologies for AI. This collaboration underscores our commitment to innovation and highlights our dedication to developing the next generation of talent in the semiconductor industry. Together, we will research transformative solutions in the industry.”
Anantha P. Chandrakasan, dean of MIT's School of Engineering, chief innovation and strategy officer, and the Vannevar Bush Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, added: “Integrated circuit technologies are the core driving a broad spectrum of applications ranging from mobile computing and communication devices to automotive, energy, and cloud computing. This collaboration allows MIT’s exceptional research community to leverage GlobalFoundries’s wide range of industry domain experts and advanced process technologies to drive exciting innovations in microelectronics across domains – while preparing our students to take on leading roles in the workforce of the future.”
