Delft-based RF chip design firm Qualinx and Globalfoundries have completed what they describe as the first fully European end-to-end semiconductor manufacturing flow for security-critical chips. The tape-out demonstrates that sensitive semiconductor designs can be developed, manufactured and delivered entirely within Europe without design data or physical materials leaving the EU.
Qualinx leverages digital radio frequency (DRF) technology to transfer most of a wireless chip’s analog functions into the digital domain. This reintroduces CMOS scaling benefits to GPS-like and other radios, which increasingly run into analog bottlenecks. The QLX3xx design taped out with Globalfoundries targets sovereign GNSS-based positioning, navigation and timing solutions for aerospace, defense and critical infrastructure.
The fully European manufacturing flow is being established with support from the EU Chips Act and covers design intake, mask services and wafer fabrication. Following the work with Qualinx, Globalfoundries plans to complete a fully automated trusted European manufacturing flow in Dresden by the end of 2026 and make it available as a standard foundry offering from 2027.
