SkyWater COO Sakamoto Amplifies Growth Strategy in Interview

SkyWater, an engineering services and volume manufacturing foundry, was established in 2017 through the acquisition of Cypress Foundry Solutions, a former subsidiary of Cypress Semiconductor Corp., by Infineon Technology AG. The company has been led by CEO Thomas Sonderman, with key leadership from Sakamoto, who brings 25 years of executive experience from Altera, Intel, and Marvell.

Specializing in a wide range of services, SkyWater assists integrated device manufacturers (IDMs) in developing chips and specialized manufacturing processes for various sectors such as aerospace, defense, automotive, consumer electronics, healthcare, and industrial applications. Notably, SkyWater is recognized as a 'Trusted Supplier' to the US Department of Defense.

Offering mixed-signal CMOS, rad-hard, superconducting, photonic circuits, MEMS, and heterogeneous integration services, SkyWater has primarily focused on advanced technology services (ATS), which account for about 90% of its revenue. Despite challenges in the wafer market due to industrial softness, the company remains optimistic about future prospects.

In recent financial reports, SkyWater saw growth in ATS revenues, reaching US$61.7 million in the second quarter of 2024. However, wafer services experienced a decline to US$5.8 million. The company's strategic shift towards volume manufacturing and R&D capabilities is expected to drive further growth and innovation.

One significant development for SkyWater is the acquisition of a multi-column e-beam lithography platform from Multibeam Corp. This cutting-edge tool enhances the definition of leading-edge semiconductors, offering superior resolution and efficiency compared to traditional lithography methods. SkyWater aims to leverage this technology for various applications, ranging from sub-65nm to 2micron nodes.