GlobalFoundries qualifies SLATE packaging on 9SW RF platform

GlobalFoundries (Nasdaq: GFS) announced the production readiness of its SLATE wafer-to-wafer bonding technology on its 9SW radio-frequency silicon-on-insulator (RF-SOI) platform, according to a company statement released June 23, 2026.

Manufactured at GlobalFoundries' 300mm facility in Singapore, the 9SW SLATE technology is expected to reach volume production by the second half of 2027. The technology supports wafer-to-wafer bonding, enabling designers to stack large-size field-effect transistors in vertical architectures.

The company says the approach can reduce overall die size by up to 45%, decreasing RF board space for applications including switches, low-noise amplifiers and antenna tuners used in smart mobile devices.

The 9SW platform, first introduced in 2023, covers sub-8GHz and FR3 frequency ranges for 5G mobile devices and satellite communications. GlobalFoundries describes it as the fourth generation of its XSW technology, claiming more than 20% improvement in efficiency through lower on-resistance and off-capacitance.

"Deploying SLATE on 9SW represents a significant step forward in RF integration, enabling our customers to design more compact and power-efficient solutions for next-generation 5G devices without compromising RF performance," said Shankaran Janardhanan, senior vice president of GlobalFoundries' RF business.

Cadence is listed as a collaborator on the technology. Vinod Kariat, corporate vice president of the Custom IC and PCB group at Cadence, said the company's Virtuoso Studio software supports design verification for the 9SW SLATE platform.

GlobalFoundries said an integrated process design kit is available through its GF Connect portal. The 9SW and 9SW SLATE platforms are available for prototyping through the company's GlobalShuttle multi-project wafer program, with shuttles scheduled for the second half of the year.

The company also indicated that SLATE technology is intended to support a broader roadmap for heterogeneous 3D integration across its FDX FD-SOI, RF-SOI and silicon germanium platforms, targeting markets including data centers, satellite connectivity, IoT and mobile devices.

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