Two pieces of chip-industry news from 8 October 2026 show where some of the pressure in AI hardware now sits. GlobalFoundries (GF) has agreed to make silicon interposers, a part used in packaging advanced AI chips, for TSMC at its plant in New York. And TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, published its September revenue. Both are confirmed by the companies’ own releases.
Why packaging matters
The most powerful AI chips are no longer a single slab of silicon. A typical AI accelerator puts a large processor alongside stacks of high-bandwidth memory, and these need to be joined with thousands of very fine connections. TSMC’s CoWoS technology (“chip on wafer on substrate”) does this by mounting the chips side by side on a silicon interposer: a thin layer of silicon with dense wiring that links them, which then sits on a larger base.
GF presents the deal as a response to “growing demand for high-performance computing and AI systems” [1]. Its Ed Kaste, senior vice president of the CMOS business, said: “Advanced packaging is becoming increasingly critical to delivering the performance, power efficiency and scale required for next-generation AI systems” [1].
GlobalFoundries and TSMC: interposers made in New York
Confirmed (company announcement). GF announced a “Multi-year $2 billion agreement” with TSMC to establish “a U.S.-based supply of silicon interposers for TSMC’s CoWoS advanced packaging ecosystem” [1]. Under it, “GF will provide manufacturing service to TSMC, and add fabrication capacity at its Malta, New York facility” [1].
Key points from GF’s release [1]:
- GF expects to become “the first U.S.-based source of silicon interposers” for these packaging technologies, including parts with embedded deep trench capacitors (tiny built-in capacitors that help keep power supply to the chips stable).
- “Volume production is expected to begin ramping at GF’s Malta site during the first half of 2028.”
- The agreement has an “initial term of five years” and “provides a framework for future capacity expansion”.
The release describes this as a manufacturing service agreement worth $2 billion over multiple years. It does not break down how the money flows, or how much new capacity it buys. The 2028 date is GF’s expectation, and the release carries the usual warning that forward-looking statements may not come true [1].
Why it is notable. By GF’s own description, there is currently no US-based source of these interposers, so the deal would add a domestic supplier for one part of the CoWoS chain [1]. It would not, by itself, move the whole packaging process to America, and volume production is still more than a year away.
TSMC: September revenue
Confirmed (company monthly report). TSMC said its consolidated revenue for September 2026 was “approximately NT$511.86 billion, a decrease of 0.6 percent from August 2026 and an increase of 54.6 percent from September 2025” [2]. Revenue for January to September totalled “NT$3,898.73 billion, an increase of 41.1 percent” on the same period of 2025 [2].
In plain terms: September revenue was slightly down on August but more than half as much again as a year earlier, and the year so far is running about 41% ahead of 2025. TSMC gives the figures in New Taiwan dollars only. Its release offers no breakdown by product or customer, so it cannot show how much of the growth comes from AI chips. Because September was down on August, it is not a monthly record.
What this does not prove
- That US interposer supply will start on time. Volume production is “expected” to ramp in the first half of 2028; that is GF’s forecast [1].
- How the $2 billion is structured. GF’s release does not say who pays what, or when [1].
- That AI caused TSMC’s growth. The monthly report gives a total only, with no split by product [2].
- Anything about share prices. TSN offers no investment advice.
The Bottom Line
GF’s deal with TSMC would give the US its first local source of silicon interposers for CoWoS packaging, a part used in packaging AI chips, with volume production expected to ramp from the first half of 2028. TSMC’s September revenue of about NT$511.86 billion was 54.6% up on a year ago but 0.6% down on August. Together they show strong demand, and how long it takes to add capacity in the parts that matter most.
Sources
- GlobalFoundries, “GlobalFoundries reaches agreement to establish U.S.-based supply of silicon interposers for advanced AI packaging”, Malta, N.Y., 8 October 2026 (company announcement; contains forward-looking statements). https://gf.com/news-and-events/news/globalfoundries-reaches-agreement-to-establish-us-based-supply-of-silicon-interposers-for-advanced-ai-packaging/
- TSMC, “TSMC September 2026 Revenue Report”, Hsinchu, 8 October 2026 (company monthly revenue report). https://pr.tsmc.com/english/news/3343
