Photonics HandbookBusiness
GlobalFoundries Partners with Applied Materials, Egis
MALTA, N.Y., Sept. 25, 2025 — GlobalFoundries (GF) and Applied Materials have established a strategic collaboration to establish a state-of-the-art waveguide fabrication facility at GF Singapore to accelerate the emerging demand for photonics technology driven by AI.
The collaboration marks a significant milestone in the evolution of photonics as a foundational technology for next-generation AI applications, including augmented reality (AR) and human-centric digital experiences that require ultra-efficient, lightweight and high-performance optical systems, the companies said. Applied Materials will develop waveguide components with GF as its high-volume manufacturing partner in Singapore.
According to Paul Meissner, vice president and general manager of Applied Materials’ Photonics Platforms Business, the collaboration will enable the company to extend leadership in materials engineering and deliver highly integrated display technologies.
Smart Sensing
GlobalFoundries is also partnering with Egis Technology to deliver a direct time-of-flight (dToF) sensor on GF’s 55-nm platform. The solution supports smart sensing technologies in smart mobile, IoT, and automotive end markets.
The partnership will specifically use GF’s first-generation front-side illuminated (FSI) single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) device, for high-signal-to-noise ratio dToF sensing. The SPAD device, available as a p-cell, is integrated on GF’s 55-nm platform which provides a fully integrated dToF SoC, including high-voltage bias, VCSEL driver, microcontroller unit, and ranging core, on single, smaller chip.
Applications for the FSI SPAD technology include laser-assisted auto focus for smart mobile devices, laptops and projectors, presence detection for smart appliances and buildings to enable power saving features, and collision avoidance in robots and drones.
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Published: September 2025
Glossary
- augmented reality
- Augmented reality (AR) is a technology that integrates digital information, typically in the form of computer-generated graphics, images, or data, with the real-world environment in real-time. AR enhances the user's perception of the physical world by overlaying or combining digital content onto the user's view of the real world, often through devices like smartphones, tablets, smart glasses, or specialized AR headsets.
Key features and principles of augmented reality:
Real-time...
- near-infrared
- The shortest wavelengths of the infrared region, nominally 0.75 to 3 µm.
- lidar
- Lidar, short for light detection and ranging, is a remote sensing technology that uses laser light to measure distances and generate precise, three-dimensional information about the shape and characteristics of objects and surfaces. Lidar systems typically consist of a laser scanner, a GPS receiver, and an inertial measurement unit (IMU), all integrated into a single system.
Here is how lidar works:
Laser emission: A laser emits laser pulses, often in the form of rapid and repetitive laser...
- time of flight
- (TOF) The length of time needed for a signal to arrive at and be reflected from the target. The basis of an active autoranging/autofocus system.
BusinesscollaborationSensors & DetectorsDisplaysaugmented realityphotonic integrated circuitsPICs55-nm55 nmsemiconductorspartnershipnear-infraredNIRsingle photon avalanche diodeSPADlidartime of flighttime-of-flightTOFdToFGlobalfoundriesApplied MaterialsEgisAmericasAsia-Pacific