HHGrace MPW Cost & Quotation RFQ Brief
Build a non-confidential HHGrace MPW quotation brief before final GDS by defining scope, cost drivers, unknowns and confirmation gates.
Short answer: You can prepare an HHGrace (Hua Hong / 华虹) MPW quotation enquiry before final GDS, but it must be framed as a preliminary, non-confidential RFQ brief. State the node/process hypothesis, die-area range, sample quantity and delivery form, package/test assumptions, target timing, customer entity/country/end use and NDA/PDK status. MST Singapore can normalize that brief and coordinate fab review as a non-exclusive agent for overseas projects. An estimator or early budget is not an HHGrace quote; price, inclusions, capacity, milestones, technical eligibility and acceptance remain fab-confirmed case by case.
A useful early quotation is not a single wafer number. It is a defined scope with a dated commercial basis. Buyers need to know what is being priced, what is excluded, which assumptions can still move and what evidence must exist before commitment. Asking early is valuable precisely because it exposes the missing inputs while there is still time to change the plan.
What can be quoted before final design data exists?
Before final GDS, the die outline, mask data and signoff status are not frozen. The RFQ should therefore identify ranges and dependencies instead of presenting guesses as facts. A fab-facing reviewer can evaluate whether the requirement is complete enough for a preliminary next step, whether a process hypothesis is plausible and which inputs must be confirmed before a formal quotation.
The public HHGrace customer-inquiry form asks for company information, application market, end product, chip type and platform. Those are useful first-stage fields. A commercial brief must add enough delivery detail to make fabrication, samples, package/test and schedule assumptions distinguishable. It should never attach controlled PDK files, proprietary schematics or final layout data to a public form.
Normalize the commercial basis
| Cost driver | What the RFQ should state | What remains unknown | Confirmation gate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Process | Preferred node, process family, voltage/memory/RF needs and acceptable alternatives. | Exact fab option, PDK and eligibility. | Technical process-fit review. |
| Die scope | Area range, aspect ratio if important and seal-ring/scribe assumptions. | Accepted final outline and billable basis. | Area registration or quote basis. |
| Samples | Desired gross units and delivery form: wafer, sawn wafer, loose die or packaged samples. | Included quantity, extras and yield-dependent useful units. | Written delivery definition. |
| Package and test | Package concept, pad map maturity, probe, assembly, final test and bring-up assumptions. | NRE, tooling, substrates, test hardware and programme scope. | Separate supplier/fab quotations. |
| Timing | Design-ready range, business target and flexibility. | Current capacity, milestones and change terms. | Fab-confirmed schedule. |
| Commercial context | Customer entity, country/region, end use, currency and delivery destination. | Eligibility, tax, shipping, compliance and quote validity. | Commercial/compliance review. |
Do not compare incomplete prices
Two MPW numbers can refer to different deliverables. One may cover a minimum block on a shared wafer; another may include a different sample form or service layer. Package engineering, assembly, probe, final test, logistics and design-enablement work can sit outside the fabrication amount. Currency, tax, shipping and validity dates also change the comparison.
Normalize each candidate into a total project scope. Record the commercial unit, minimum, included samples, extra-sample policy, delivery form, package/test responsibility, non-recurring engineering, logistics, payment terms and schedule-change assumptions. Keep “unknown” visible. An unknown is not zero and should not be silently averaged into the budget.
| Decision input | Evidence required | Unknown owner | Next gate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preliminary fabrication scope | Node/process hypothesis, die range, sample objective and timing range. | Programme owner | Reviewable RFQ brief. |
| Technical eligibility | Requirement-to-process mapping and unresolved device/IP/reliability gaps. | Chip architect and fab | Process-fit acknowledgement. |
| Commercial unit | Currency, minimum, included/excluded items and validity date. | Commercial coordinator | Comparable dated quote. |
| Post-fab delivery | Wafer/die form, package, probe, test and logistics responsibilities. | Package/test owner | End-to-end statement of work. |
| Risk allowance | Area growth, schedule movement, extra samples, re-spin and qualification assumptions. | Product/finance owner | Approved project budget. |
| Customer onboarding | Entity, country/end use, NDA/PDK status and purchasing path. | Legal/procurement owner | Fab commercial review. |
A non-confidential pre-GDS RFQ checklist
- Identify the project: company/entity, country/region, application, end product and end use.
- State the process hypothesis: node range, process family and hard electrical/reliability constraints.
- Bound the geometry: preliminary die-area range and what could still change it.
- Define useful output: sample quantity and whether the team needs wafer, loose die, packaged or tested units.
- Separate downstream scope: probe, dicing, assembly, package engineering, test and shipping.
- State timing honestly: earliest credible design-ready range, target delivery and flexibility.
- Declare access status: NDA/PDK path, EDA environment and any known compliance gate.
This checklist is enough to start structured clarification. It is not a substitute for controlled PDK review, technical signoff or an issued quotation. When the design matures, replace ranges with verified values and preserve the earlier assumptions so scope changes remain auditable.
What MST does with the brief
MST checks whether the non-confidential fields are internally consistent, identifies missing owners and coordinates the next fab-facing review. The outcome may be a request for more evidence, a revised process hypothesis, a controlled onboarding step or a quotation path. MST does not publish a universal HHGrace MPW price and does not convert an estimator result into fab commercial terms.
Use the right supporting resources
Use the HHGrace MPW agent entry to start a route-specific review. Use the MPW Estimator to expose planning inputs and omissions; treat its output as an internal planning aid, never as an HHGrace quotation.
Frequently asked questions
Can I request an HHGrace MPW quote without final GDS?
Yes, as a preliminary scope review. Provide a non-confidential process hypothesis, die range, samples, package/test assumptions, timing and customer context. A formal quote requires later fab-confirmed scope and eligibility.
What is the biggest cause of an unusable MPW price?
A missing commercial basis is the most common cause: no minimum, sample definition, delivery form, exclusions, validity date or package/test scope. The number cannot be compared until those fields are normalized.
Does the MPW Estimator show HHGrace pricing?
No. It is a planning tool for organizing assumptions and cost drivers. It does not access HHGrace commercial systems, available capacity or an issued quotation.
Should packaging and test be included in the first RFQ?
Yes as explicit assumptions, even if separate suppliers will quote them. Otherwise the fabrication number may look complete while the project still lacks a usable first-silicon delivery path.
What information should not go through public intake?
Do not provide GDS/OASIS, RTL, netlists, proprietary schematics, controlled PDK material, rule decks or confidential customer IP. Begin with the high-level fields needed to decide the controlled next step.
Primary sources and review boundary
- HHGrace Customer Inquiry — official public first-stage company, application, product, chip-type and platform fields.
- HHGrace Online FAQ — official customer-support context, not a public quotation source.
- Hua Hong Semiconductor 2025 Annual Report — company and platform context; it does not publish a project quote.
- GlobalFoundries GlobalShuttle — official generic evidence that MPW program content and sample conditions can vary by technology and customer; not an HHGrace price source.
Last technically reviewed: August 9, 2026. This page prepares a non-confidential RFQ brief. HHGrace process eligibility, capacity, schedule, scope, price, quotation validity, PDK path and order acceptance remain fab-confirmed case by case.
Related Articles
Ready to plan your MPW and first-silicon path?
Start with a non-confidential brief covering node/process fit, schedule, first-silicon validation, packaging/test, sample handling or re-spin needs. MST routes the request for review; feasibility, availability, timing and quotation are confirmed case by case.