Sensor business developments

[beewee]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

This could be interesting: Intel to buy Tower Semiconductor

[frame-it]

4 hours ago, beewee said:

This could be interesting: Intel to buy Tower Semiconductor

probably because of this ?

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2021/08/intel-foundry-services-gets-a-boost-from-100m-pentagon-award-for-us-made-chips/

[laowai_]

On 2/15/2022 at 7:08 PM, frame-it said:

probably because of this ?

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2021/08/intel-foundry-services-gets-a-boost-from-100m-pentagon-award-for-us-made-chips/

No, not really.
 

This article talks about digital technologies and the fact that the most advanced chips (e.g. the digital processors for electronic warfare hardware) come from Taiwan, a politically volatile location.

The first article talks about Tower Semiconductor (formerly TowerJazz). They use older process technology and specialty processes with application in imaging sensors,  RF-CMOS, analog/mixed signals chips, things like that. I believe the former National Semiconductor fabs are part of Tower.
 

The articles also mention Global Foundries. Those are the former IBM fabs and AMD fabs (plus a few others). The IBM fabs used to be part of the ‘trusted foundry’ network (maybe they still are, I lost track) and were heavily used by our national defense industry. Obviously the fabs are still here. They lost their cutting edge and are now owned by the United Arab Emirates.