The subsidy, with a maximum amount of 100.7 million, will be paid over five years, the Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Energy revealed on Wednesday.
“This support from the Quebec government in IBM […] is granted so that the company can acquire equipment and make the development of the spaces necessary for the advanced assembly and the post-processing of 300 mm waffles, “explains Jean-Pierre d’Auteuil, spokesperson for the Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Energy, in an email sent to The press.
What is a “waffle” in computer science?
English wafera “waffle” is a thin slice of semiconductor materials on which are engraved in mass integrated circuits. They are used in the manufacture of electronic components.
“Basically, the electronic fleas are square or rectangular and made on silicon discs. Just before the cutting of fleas, it gives the appearance of an Egggo waffle, “describes Marc-André Tétrault, associate professor at the Faculty of Genius of the University of Sherbrooke. Thus, the greater the “waffle”, the more circuits you can make at the same time, he explains. The industry standard is currently around 300 millimeters, specifies the specialist.
The professor underlines that the IBM factory in Bromont plays a crucial role in the transition from research to marketing, by allowing innovation and adaptation of standard manufacturing processes.
The envelope granted to IBM is part of the measure “Supporting the development of the Technum Québec innovation zone”, in the government’s budgetary plan unveiled last March. “It was planned that the financial support authorized through this measure would be a subsidy,” said Mr. d’Auteuil.
The ministry will give more details as to the nature of the project linked to this subsidy in the coming weeks.
The Bromont factory is the only one in North America to carry out the assembly of semiconductors for IBM, but also for outside customers, according to their specifications, such as 5G equipment manufacturers and data centers.
In 2023, the large customers of the Bromont factory represented between 50 and 60 % of the volume of activities in the assembly center, while IBM monopolized 40 to 50 % of annual production. At the time, the Bromont factory identified more than 1,000 workers, including several hundred engineers.
A call of The press With Stéphane Tremblay, director of the factory, did not have immediate consequences.
The announcement of the subsidy on Wednesday takes place a little more than a year after Ottawa and Quebec announced major investments at the Bromont factory, or nearly 100 million, to finance its vast expansion project aimed, in particular, to increase the autonomy of the semiconductor supply chain between Quebec and New York State, but also to support research projects in microelectronics in the region.