Chip plant start date ‘next year’ - The National Newspaper

Abu Dhabi plans to start building a state-of-the-art microchip foundry in the capital as early as the end of next year as global demand grows.

Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC), which is owned by the Abu Dhabi Government, holds a majority stake in Globalfoundries, a maker of semiconductors in which the US company Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) divested its majority holding in March last year.

ATIC has recently pledged US$3.6 billion (Dh13.22bn) to double Globalfoundries’ capacity at its facilities in Dresden and New York. This should increase Globalfoundries’ overall production to about 200,000 silicon wafers a month by 2012. Semiconductors, the microcircuitry of which is essential to the functioning of modern electronic goods, are made from silicon wafers.