GlobalFoundries, Marvell expand SiGe capacity for AI data centers

Malta, New York - GlobalFoundries and Marvell Technology have agreed to ramp up silicon germanium technology capacity at GlobalFoundries' Burlington, Vermont facility, according to a press release. This expansion will cater to the needs of optical transceivers, Near-Packaged Optics and Co-packaged Optics used in AI data center applications. The collaboration follows existing production between the two companies.

GlobalFoundries' SiGe technology enables 200G-per-lane optical connectivity, a capability the company has relied on for over a decade. The company integrates SiGe technology with silicon photonics and advanced packaging to create optical connectivity architectures. Robb Johnson, Vice President of Foundry Technology at Marvell, emphasized the increasing importance of connectivity in AI-driven data centers.

He stated that Marvell is investing heavily to lead the shift towards higher-bandwidth optical architectures, including Near-Packaged Optics (NPO) and Co-packaged Optics (CPO).

Shankaran Janardhanan, senior vice president of Photonics & RF businesses at GlobalFoundries, highlighted the role of SiGe technology in enabling high-speed optical networking for AI infrastructure. The agreement extends a collaboration that has spanned more than a decade between the two companies. GlobalFoundries operates manufacturing facilities in the United States, Europe, and Asia, while Marvell develops semiconductor solutions for data infrastructure applications.