The story
Founding and SEMATECH era
The Advanced Technology Development Facility (ATDF) began operations in 1988 as a research plant for SEMATECH, a consortium of leading global semiconductor companies based in Austin, Texas. It was established to help the U.S. semiconductor industry regain its competitive edge through collaborative research, development, and the sharing of manufacturing standards.
Independent subsidiary
In July 2004, SEMATECH reorganized its R&D wafer fab and associated analytical laboratories into an independent, for-profit subsidiary named Advanced Technology Development Facility Inc. (ATDF). The new subsidiary took possession of SEMATECH's 62,000-square-foot Class 1 cleanroom in Texas, which offered processing capabilities for both 200-mm and 300-mm diameter wafers, along with process characterization laboratories providing metrology and analytical services. ATDF served as a resource for the SEMATECH consortium under a service agreement while also offering a broad range of services to external customers and universities.
Acquisition and closure
In December 2007, ATDF was acquired by the Silicon Valley Technology Center (SVTC), a San Jose-based development foundry and recent spin-off of Cypress Semiconductor. Following the acquisition, the combined entity was renamed SVTC Technologies. The merged organization aimed to serve more than 200 customers worldwide by expanding secure semiconductor and nanotechnology development capabilities. SVTC Technologies ultimately ceased operations and executed a general assignment for the benefit of creditors in October 2012.
From Wikipedia’s article on Advanced Technology Development Facility, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3