How SisuSemi technology can boost foundry competitiveness in a crowded market

In today's increasingly competitive semiconductor landscape, foundries face mounting pressure from multiple directions. They must not only compete against other pure-play foundries for contracts from fabless companies but also against the internal fabrication capabilities of Integrated Device Manufacturers (IDMs). The market is increasingly concentrated, with the top 5 players controlling over 90% of production. As chipmaking becomes more complex and margins tighten, foundries need innovative solutions that offer measurable advantages in performance, power efficiency and yield. The SisuSemi solution represents exactly this kind of technological breakthrough.

The foundry competitive challenge

Foundries operate in an environment where differentiation is challenging but essential. With advanced nodes requiring billions in capital expenditure and running costs, the stakes couldn't be higher. Traditional competitive factors include:

• Process technology leadership

• Manufacturing capacity and flexibility

• Geographic diversification

• Specialized process offerings

• Customer service and design support

However, as these factors become table stakes, foundries need new tools for differentiation. This is especially true when competing against IDMs' internal fabs, which benefit from vertical integration advantages.

SisuSemi: A new standard in atomic-level cleanliness

The SisuSemi process employs Ultra High Vacuum (UHV), elevated temperatures (<450 °C) and controlled oxidation to meticulously clean silicon surfaces, restore atomic-level crystalline structure and form a protective crystalline SiO₂ layer. Unlike conventional methods, which often leave behind microscopic contaminants or induce amorphous layers that degrade chip performance, SisuSemi achieves true atomic-level cleanliness.

Key benefits for foundries:

1. Enhanced chip performance:

• Reduced interface defect density (Dit) leads to superior electrical properties, lower leakage currents and increased carrier mobility

• Improved thermal stability and higher tolerance for high-frequency operations

2. Increased manufacturing yields:

• Eliminating atomic-level defects directly reduces scrap rates and rework, boosting overall yield

• Fewer process-induced defects mean more functional chips per wafer, translating to higher profitability

3. Superior reliability & longevity:

• Chips fabricated with cleaner interfaces demonstrate enhanced reliability over time—crucial for automotive, aerospace and mission-critical applications

4. Energy efficiency & sustainability:

• Reduced leakage currents lead to lower power consumption, an increasingly critical factor in IoT, mobile devices and data center applications

Winning fabless company and IDM customers

For fabless companies, the stakes are clear: they need foundry partners who can deliver performance and yield advantages that translate into market differentiation and higher ROI. By adopting SisuSemi, foundries can directly address these demands, offering:

• Higher-quality chips: SisuSemi-treated wafers provide enhanced signal integrity, reduced noise and lower power leakage—features that directly impact end-product performance

• Cost-efficient manufacturing: Higher yields mean lower costs per functional chip, allowing foundries to offer competitive pricing without compromising quality

• Faster Time-to-Market: Improved process efficiency and reduced defect rates streamline production cycles, enabling faster delivery

For IDMs utilizing external foundries, the same advantages apply—but the stakes are even higher. Foundries must prove that they can outperform the IDM’s internal facilities, delivering not just cost benefits but also quality and performance enhancements. For foundries competing against IDMs' internal fabs, the SisuSemi solution offers a unique opportunity to neutralize the vertical integration advantage. With SisuSemi, foundries can position themselves as innovation partners, not just fabrication vendors.

Strategic differentiation in a crowded market

In the crowded foundry market, differentiation is often hard to achieve. Many foundries rely on similar lithography equipment, etching techniques and process nodes. But atomic-level cleanliness—enabled by SisuSemi—offers a clear, tangible advantage.

By integrating SisuSemi into their fabrication lines, foundries can:

• Advertise lower defect rates as a key selling point to fabless companies

• Demonstrate consistent yield improvements in competitive bidding situations

• Offer tailored solutions for high-performance markets like automotive, AI and aerospace, where reliability and energy efficiency are paramount

In addition, embracing SisuSemi opens the door to co-marketing opportunities. Foundries can highlight the use of state-of-the-art processes in their customer pitches, strengthening their value proposition.

 The competitive edge foundries need

In a marketplace where the tiniest defect can make or break a multi-million-dollar chip design, foundries need every edge they can get. SisuSemi offers that edge—empowering foundries to boost yield, improve chip reliability and create powerful value propositions that attract and retain fabless customers.

Incorporating SisuSemi isn’t just a process improvement—it’s a strategic move that helps foundries rise above the competition and secure their place as leaders in next-generation semiconductor manufacturing.