GlobalFoundries VP details FDX Fusion technology, sporting 7nm-class performance without the need for EUV tools — company targets 2030 for high-volume manufacturing, with planar transistors in tow

Eight years after GlobalFoundries abandoned the development of its 7nm FinFET technology, the company is preparing to return to 7nm-class performance, this time by going via a different route. Its FDX Fusion process, built on FD-SOI (fully depleted silicon-on-insulator) technology, promises 7nm-class performance using advanced planar transistors, with no EUV lithography necessary.

In an interview with Tom's Hardware Premium, GlobalFoundries' Sudipto Bose, vice president of the FD-SOI business unit, shared new details about its FDX Fusion technology, including its 8nm-class logic density, advanced planar transistors, manufacturing costs, and plans to begin commercial production in 2028. The company also explained how it intends to compete with conventional FinFET technologies and why it believes FD-SOI has a future beyond the 22nm-class generation. Some elements of this interview transcript have been edited for flow and clarity.

Sudipto Bose: I have been at GlobalFoundries (GF) for a little bit over six years, and I have been in the industry for 25+ years. …