Semiconductor foundry GLOBALFOUNDRIES and IBM have signed an agreement to jointly manufacture advanced computer chips at the companies’ semiconductor fabs in New York’s "Tech Valley."

The chips are based on IBM’s 32nm, Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) technology, which was jointly developed with GLOBALFOUNDRIES and other members of IBM’s Process Development Alliance, with early research at the University at Albany’s College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering.

Silicon-on-Insulator technology improves microprocessor performance in multi-core designs and speeds the movement of graphics in gaming, networking, and other image intensive, multi-media applications.

GLOBALFOUNDRIES’ new Fab 8 will focus on leading-edge manufacturing at 32/28nm and below.

The IBM’s 32/28nm technology uses the same "Gate First" approach to High-k Metal Gate (HKMG) that has reached volume production in GLOBALFOUNDRIES’ Fab 1 in Dresden, Germany. This approach to HKMG offers higher performance with a 10-20% cost saving over HKMG offerings offered by other foundries, while still providing the full entitlement of scaling from the 45/40nm node.

The new chips also will feature IBM’s eDRAM (embedded dynamic random access memory) technology, which improves on-processor memory performance in about one-third the space with one-fifth the standby power of conventional SRAM (static random access memory).

IBM Microelectronics general manager Michael Cadigan said IBM recently announced that it would spend $3.6bn researching and developing new silicon technology in New York.

"We bring the skills, investments and partnerships that keep New York at the forefront of advanced silicon development and manufacturing," said Cadigan.

GLOBALFOUNDRIES CEO Ajit Manocha said the announcement is a natural extension of GLOBALFOUNDRIES’ longstanding partnership with IBM that includes production of 65nm and 45nm chips at GLOBALFOUNDRIES fabs in Singapore and Germany.

"With the addition of our newest factory in New York, we will now be jointly producing chips with IBM at four fabs on three continents," said Manocha.