GlobalFoundries announced a $2 billion agreement with TSMC on October 8. It will make silicon interposers for TSMC’s CoWoS chip packaging at its factory in Malta, New York. Volume production should start in the first half of 2028. GlobalFoundries says it will be the first US source of these parts, and TSMC has not commented.
New to this? Read it in simple words
- GlobalFoundries will make a key AI chip part for TSMC.
- The deal is worth $2 billion over five years at first.
- The parts will be made in New York from 2028.
- TSMC has not commented on the deal.
- Interposer
- A thin slice of silicon that connects chips and memory inside one package.
- CoWoS
- TSMC’s way of packaging chips and memory side by side on an interposer.
- Advanced packaging
- Joining several chips into one package so they work like a single, faster chip.
The deal
GlobalFoundries says the agreement is worth $2 billion and runs for five years at first, with a framework to add capacity later. It did not say how many interposers it will make.
Production will be at its factory in Malta, New York, where it will add capacity. Volume production should start to ramp up in the first half of 2028.
GlobalFoundries calls it the first US-based source of silicon interposers for advanced packaging. That is the company’s own claim. TSMC has not commented, and GlobalFoundries gave no job numbers.
From GlobalFoundries’ announcement and reports by Tom’s Hardware, The National and Hardwareluxx.
What an interposer does
An interposer is a thin slice of silicon. The main chips and stacks of high-bandwidth memory sit side by side on it, and it carries dense, fast links between them inside one package.
TSMC’s method for this is called CoWoS, and chips for AI and supercomputers use it. Tom’s Hardware reports that the deal covers the CoWoS-S version. No report names the chips that will use the new parts.
Why it matters
Tom’s Hardware and Hardwareluxx write that the deal frees some of TSMC’s own interposer capacity for other work. Tom’s Hardware adds that it could help chips be sold as made and packaged fully in the US.
GlobalFoundries shares rose after the news on Thursday, The National reports.
Sources
Every fact in this story comes from the sources below. Open them to check our work.
- 1Primary source · October 8, 2026GlobalFoundries reaches agreement to establish U.S.-based supply of silicon interposers for advanced AI packaging GlobalFoundries
- 2Research · October 8, 2026GlobalFoundries to produce silicon interposers for TSMC’s CoWoS in the US — Five-year agreement valued at $2 billion Tom’s Hardware
- 3Research · October 8, 2026UAE-backed GlobalFoundries and TSMC announce $2bn manufacturing agreement The National
- 4Research · October 8, 20262 Milliarden US-Dollar: GlobalFoundries fertigt für TSMC zukünftig Silicon Interposer Hardwareluxx
The deal’s value, length and dates come from GlobalFoundries and match the reports. “First US-based source” is the company’s claim, and TSMC has not commented.
A $2 billion partnership creates a US source of key AI chip parts, and GlobalFoundries shares rose after the news. How we rate the mood