What is a Foundry?

A foundry is a company or facility that specializes in the manufacturing of semiconductor chips. Foundries generally do not engage in the design of chips but focus on the production of semiconductor chips designed by other companies. The design work is typically handled by the semiconductor manufacturer, while the manufacturing process is outsourced to a foundry.

Foundries employ cutting-edge technologies to manufacture semiconductors, creating intricate circuits on silicon wafers. These processes include photolithography, etching, and thin-film deposition, among other advanced techniques. Many technology companies rely on foundries to produce the semiconductor chips required for their products.

Foundries vary in size and technological capabilities, with some possessing high manufacturing capabilities. These companies play an essential role in the semiconductor manufacturing industry worldwide.

Application of Foundry

１．A technology company is developing a new smartphone and has designed the semiconductor chips to be used inside the device. However, the company does not have the capability to manufacture semiconductor chips in-house, so they outsourced the production to a foundry. The foundry used advanced manufacturing technologies to produce the chips, which were then delivered to the company for integration into the smartphone.
２．In the automotive industry, a new advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) was developed, requiring numerous sensors and processors. The car manufacturer designed the system, but the actual semiconductor chip production was outsourced to a foundry. The foundry manufactured the specialized semiconductor chips, contributing to the successful development of the safe and reliable ADAS system.

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