Lip service to the most fab fab
So even if NVIDIA, or current GlobalFoundries partner AMD, wanted the ATIC-owned fab's help, it likely wouldn't be of much use until 2011. In other words, there's nowhere else to go. TSMC is all AMD and NVIDIA have when it comes to producing this year and next year's GPUs.
This means it's more than likely we'll also see AMD executives paying lip service to TSMC soon as well, as neither firm can currently afford to get the short end of the allocation stick and both have some serious sucking up to do as they compete for a limited supply of wafers.
GlobalFoundries - which is about to integrate with Chartered and its 'who's who' of third-party customers - certainly doesn't seem too bothered by Huang's remarks. The firm's head of global communications, Jon Carvill told HEXUS his fab was "an independent foundry company, currently engaged with multiple prospective customers." So, not an AMD fab at all then, Mr. Huang.
Carvill went on to say his firm had several "strategic relationships" already in place with the likes of ARM and ST MicroElectronics which, he claimed, when combined with "an aggressive leading-edge capacity build-out," left the firm "well positioned to continue acquiring new customers that require advanced technology in high volumes."
In other words, Jen-Hsun, GlobalFoundries will be happy to welcome you in about a year's time for 28nm. Until then, feel free to suck up to Morris Chang and the gang all you want.
