Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing

Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing, Inc. was a Singaporean semiconductor foundry established in 1987 through a venture that included Singapore Technologies Engineering. Its business model was based on manufacturing integrated circuits designed by external semiconductor suppliers and systems companies rather than selling a broad portfolio of its own branded chips. This made Chartered part of the growth of the dedicated foundry model, in which specialist manufacturers provide wafer-fabrication capacity and process technologies to companies that concentrate on chip design, marketing, and system integration. The company developed its capabilities through a combination of technology licensing, university research, industrial partnerships, and investment in fabrication facilities. In 1994, it signed an agreement with Toshiba to use Toshiba's 0.5-micron process technology. Two years later, Chartered began working with the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University on improvements to semiconductor fabrication. A further three-year agreement signed in 1999 expanded that relationship into research, development, and manufacturing work involving deep-submicron semiconductors. In 2000, Singapore Technologies Semiconductors, a subsidiary associated with ST Engineering and Temasek Holdings, acquired Chartered. Under this ownership structure, the company continued to expand its process portfolio and international technology relationships. It joined the ARM Foundry Program in 2002 and entered a joint development and manufacturing agreement with IBM in the same year. The IBM relationship was extended in 2004 and again in 2005, including development work for 45-nanometer bulk CMOS technology. Chartered also reported alliances involving companies such as AMD, Infineon, Samsung, Agere Systems, and IBM. Chartered operated six fabrication facilities in Singapore and also participated in joint-venture facilities. Its manufacturing services covered wafer fabrication and associated technologies for customers in communications, computing, and consumer electronics. The company did not provide the customer chip designs; instead, it manufactured products from designs supplied by its customers. Assembly and testing services were available through sister company STATS ChipPAC. Chartered's first 300-millimeter fabrication facility began commercial shipments in June 2005. In 2006, AMD announced plans to manufacture CPUs with Chartered using a 65-nanometer process. At its peak, Chartered was described as the world's third-largest dedicated independent semiconductor foundry. Its principal competitors included Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company and United Microelectronics Corporation. The company was listed in Singapore and the United States, reflecting its ambition to serve a global customer base and attract international capital. In September 2009, the company announced that it would be acquired by the principal shareholder of GlobalFoundries, the semiconductor foundry created through the combination of AMD manufacturing operations and ATIC investment. The transaction was completed at the end of 2009 for approximately US$1.8 billion according to the cited reference material. The acquisition brought Chartered's fabrication assets, process expertise, and customer relationships into the GlobalFoundries organization. Chartered therefore ceased to operate as an independent corporate brand, although its manufacturing capabilities became part of the broader GlobalFoundries platform.

Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing was founded in Singapore in 1987 in a venture that included Singapore Technologies Engineering. It was created as a semiconductor manufacturing specialist at a time when the industry was increasingly separating chip design from wafer production. Rather than marketing a large range of branded semiconductor products, Chartered supplied fabrication capacity and process technologies to semiconductor suppliers and systems companies that provided their own designs. The company's early technology development included a 1994 agreement with Toshiba covering the use of Toshiba's 0.5-micron process technology. This arrangement helped Chartered establish manufacturing capability through access to an established process platform. In 1996, the company began collaborating with the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University on improvements to semiconductor fabrication processes. A new three-year agreement in 1999 broadened the collaboration to research, development, and manufacturing of deep-submicron semiconductors, reflecting the industry's move toward smaller feature sizes and more advanced production methods. In 2000, Singapore Technologies Semiconductors, a subsidiary associated with ST Engineering and Temasek Holdings, acquired Chartered. The change in ownership supported the company's continued expansion as a dedicated foundry. Chartered joined the ARM Foundry Program in 2002 and also signed a joint development and manufacturing agreement with IBM that year. The IBM agreement was extended in 2004 and again in 2005, with the later extension including 45-nanometer bulk CMOS technology. These relationships gave Chartered access to wider process-development networks and helped it pursue increasingly advanced manufacturing nodes. Chartered's operations were concentrated in Singapore, where it owned six fabrication facilities. It also operated or participated in joint-venture facilities with other companies. Its manufacturing services served customers in communications, computing, and consumer electronics. The company worked from customer-supplied designs and did not position itself as a design house. Assembly and test services were offered through sister company STATS ChipPAC. Chartered's first 300-millimeter facility began commercial shipments in June 2005, adding a more modern wafer format to its manufacturing base. The company cultivated relationships with several major technology businesses. In addition to IBM and Toshiba, its reported alliances included AMD, Infineon, Samsung, Agere Systems, and ARM. In 2006, AMD announced that it would manufacture CPUs with Chartered using a 65-nanometer process. Chartered was described as the world's third-largest dedicated independent semiconductor foundry, behind or alongside much larger industry competitors such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company and United Microelectronics Corporation. Chartered was publicly traded on both the Singapore Exchange, under the symbol CHARTERED, and NASDAQ, under CHRT. Its public-company structure reflected the capital intensity of semiconductor manufacturing, where fabrication facilities require substantial and continuing investment. The company nevertheless remained exposed to the cyclical nature of semiconductor demand and to competition from larger foundries. In September 2009, it was announced that Chartered would be acquired by the principal shareholder of GlobalFoundries. GlobalFoundries was associated with AMD's former manufacturing operations and Advanced Technology Investment Company of Abu Dhabi. The transaction was completed at the end of 2009 for approximately US$1.8 billion. The acquisition expanded the investment group's semiconductor manufacturing assets and technology base and brought Chartered's Singapore operations into GlobalFoundries. Chartered consequently ceased to exist as an independent company and is treated as a defunct corporate brand.

• 2009

  Acquisition by the GlobalFoundries ownership group

  [1]Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturingen.wikipedia.org

  Chartered announced and completed its acquisition by the principal shareholder of GlobalFoundries for approximately US$1.8 billion, ending its independent corporate existence.

• 2006

  AMD announces 65-nanometer manufacturing relationship

  [1]Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturingen.wikipedia.org

  AMD announced plans to manufacture CPUs with Chartered using a 65-nanometer process.

• 2005

  IBM agreement expanded to 45-nanometer bulk CMOS

  [1]Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturingen.wikipedia.org

  An extension of the IBM relationship included joint work involving 45-nanometer bulk CMOS technology.

• 2005

  First 300-millimeter facility begins commercial shipments

  [1]Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturingen.wikipedia.org

  Chartered's first 300-millimeter fabrication facility began commercial shipments in June.

• 2002

  Joined the ARM Foundry Program

  [1]Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturingen.wikipedia.org

  Chartered joined ARM's foundry program and signed a joint development and manufacturing agreement with IBM.

• 2000

  Acquired by Singapore Technologies Semiconductors

  [1]Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturingen.wikipedia.org

  Singapore Technologies Semiconductors, associated with ST Engineering and Temasek Holdings, acquired Chartered.

• 1999

  Deep-submicron research agreement

  [1]Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturingen.wikipedia.org

  Chartered, the National University of Singapore, and Nanyang Technological University signed a further three-year agreement covering research, development, and manufacturing of deep-submicron semiconductors.

• 1996

  University research collaboration begins

  [1]Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturingen.wikipedia.org

  The company began working with the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University on semiconductor fabrication improvements.

• 1994

  Toshiba process-technology agreement

  [1]Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturingen.wikipedia.org

  Chartered signed an agreement with Toshiba to use Toshiba's 0.5-micron semiconductor process technology.

• 1987

  Company founded in Singapore

  [1]Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturingen.wikipedia.org

  Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing was established through a venture that included Singapore Technologies Engineering.

A global, independent semiconductor foundry focused on manufacturing chips from customer-supplied designs, with emphasis on process technology, deep-submicron development, and capacity for communications, computing, and consumer applications.

• Semiconductor manufacturing services · 1987

  Dedicated wafer-fabrication services

  Chartered's core offering was the manufacture of integrated circuits from designs supplied by semiconductor companies and systems businesses. The service covered wafer fabrication and supporting process technologies rather than the sale of a standalone Chartered chip portfolio. Its customer base was concentrated in communications, computing, and consumer applications.

• Semiconductor process technology · 1994

  CMOS process technologies

  The company developed and adopted successive CMOS manufacturing processes through technology agreements and joint development programs. Reported work included Toshiba's 0.5-micron process technology and later deep-submicron and 45-nanometer bulk CMOS development with IBM and university partners.

• Wafer fabrication · 2005

  300-millimeter wafer production

  Chartered's first 300-millimeter fabrication facility began commercial shipments in June 2005. The facility represented an expansion of the company's manufacturing infrastructure and supported production for external customers using more advanced wafer-scale manufacturing capacity.

• Processor manufacturing · 2006

  65-nanometer CPU manufacturing

  In 2006, AMD announced plans to manufacture CPUs with Chartered using a 65-nanometer process. The offering illustrated Chartered's role as a contract foundry for high-performance computing products rather than as the owner of the processor designs.

• 2009

  Sale to the GlobalFoundries ownership groupM&A

  Background

  Chartered operated in a highly competitive foundry market requiring substantial investment in fabrication facilities and process development.

  Action taken

  The company agreed to be acquired by the principal shareholder of GlobalFoundries, a group associated with AMD's former manufacturing operations and ATIC.

  Aftermath

  The transaction was completed at the end of 2009 for approximately US$1.8 billion. Chartered ceased to operate as an independent corporate brand and its capabilities became part of GlobalFoundries.

  Acquisition price. Approximately US$1.8 billion (Transaction completed at the end of 2009)

  Source

• 2006

  Move toward 65-nanometer processor manufacturingGeneration change

  Background

  AMD sought manufacturing capacity for CPUs using a more advanced process generation.

  Action taken

  AMD announced that it would manufacture CPUs with Chartered using a 65-nanometer process.

  Aftermath

  The announcement demonstrated Chartered's participation in advanced processor manufacturing and broadened its public profile among major semiconductor companies.

  Source

• 2005

  Commercial launch of 300-millimeter wafer productionProduct launch

  Background

  Semiconductor manufacturers were moving toward larger wafers to improve production economics and support higher-volume advanced-node manufacturing.

  Action taken

  Chartered began commercial shipments from its first 300-millimeter fabrication facility in Singapore.

  Aftermath

  The facility expanded Chartered's available manufacturing platform and helped it serve customers requiring newer wafer-production capabilities.

  Source

• 2002

  Expand through ARM and IBM technology partnershipsStrategy

  Background

  Chartered was competing in the capital-intensive independent-foundry market, where access to advanced process technology and design ecosystems was important for winning customers.

  Action taken

  The company joined the ARM Foundry Program and signed a joint development and manufacturing agreement with IBM. The IBM arrangement was later extended in 2004 and 2005.

  Aftermath

  The partnerships supported Chartered's work in deep-submicron and 45-nanometer bulk CMOS technologies and strengthened its position as a manufacturing partner for external chip designers.

  Source

1. 1Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturingen.wikipedia.org