Capital · United States

Microsoft and Anthropic play invoice tennis with startup's $17,600 Claude bill

Credited to The Register · theregister.com · 6h ago

Photograph · The Register

Vegalabs says $21,168 in unused Azure credits expired as separate Marketplace charges piled up

A Norwegian startup says it ran up a $17,600 bill using Claude in Microsoft Foundry after assuming its Azure credits would cover the cost.

We reported a similar case in March, involving third-party model charges that weren't covered by Azure sponsorship credits.

This time, the customer says Microsoft and Anthropic each directed it to the other to resolve the charges.

Vegalabs AS says it received $25,060 in Azure credits through Microsoft for Startups and deployed Claude in August, expecting its analysis workloads to use that balance.

However, Microsoft's sponsorship rules exclude Anthropic models purchased through Azure Marketplace. Vegalabs says Microsoft attempted to collect $16,500 from its card, with the invoiced total subsequently reaching $17,600 before tax.

Vegalabs says it monitored the sponsorship portal, which continued to show available credits while separate Marketplace charges accumulated. Microsoft's Claude deployment guide says credit-only sponsored subscriptions aren't supported, but accounts with a card on file will have that card charged instead.

The company says it deleted the deployment within an hour of discovering the charges. Its card issuer declined the attempted payment over suspected fraud, and $21,168 in unused sponsorship credits expired on September 8.

Vegalabs acknowledges it did not read the credit exclusions or configure a budget alert. It disputes neither the usage nor the documented rule, but says the deployment interface failed to make the separate billing clear. Its request for a waiver then bounced between Microsoft and Anthropic support.

The Register has seen communications from Microsoft directing the user to Anthropic. "Marketplace transactions are processed through a separate billing pipeline associated with the third-party publisher. As a result, Azure Support does not have the ability to directly waive, refund, or adjust these Marketplace charges on the customer's behalf."

"If Anthropic approves the request, they can initiate the appropriate refund authorization through Microsoft."

Anthropic support, however, said Microsoft did not require its authorization to process a refund and directed Vegalabs back to Microsoft.

Vegalabs says four of the seven support replies it received were AI-generated, including both responses from Anthropic. It says those responses incorrectly described its account as an "Azure Student Sponsorship."

We asked Microsoft on October 6 if it had any comment on the situation, but beyond an acknowledgment and a request to let us know what Anthropic had to say, the company had nothing further to share. We also asked Anthropic for its take on the situation, but the company did not respond.

Microsoft's rules distinguish between credit-covered services and separately billed models offered through the same platform. Vegalabs' experience suggests that distinction needs to be clearer where customers deploy them.

For now, the company has a bill and two support teams directing it elsewhere. ®

Chips & SupplyUnited States

NVIDIA consolidates in Ichimoku cloud at $230.93: Live levels

Credited to Investing.com · investing.com1h ago

Useful

View the articleInvesting.com

Front Method

Capital · United States

GlobalFoundries Signs $2B TSMC Deal for CoWoS Interposer Manufacturing

Credited to Converge Digest · convergedigest.com · 17h ago

Photograph · Converge Digest

GlobalFoundries (Nasdaq: GFS) has signed a $2 billion, five-year manufacturing agreement with TSMC to establish a U.S.-based supply of silicon interposers for TSMC’s Chip-on-Wafer-on-Substrate (CoWoS) advanced packaging ecosystem. Under the agreement, GlobalFoundries will expand manufacturing capacity at its Malta, New York semiconductor fabrication facility. The initiative will establish what the company describes as the first U.S.-based manufacturing source for silicon interposers supporting advanced AI and high-performance computing packages.

The agreement covers silicon interposers incorporating advanced packaging technologies, including embedded deep trench capacitor (DTC) components. Silicon interposers provide high-density electrical connections between processors, accelerator chiplets, and high-bandwidth memory (HBM) stacks within advanced semiconductor packages. Embedded capacitors can support local power delivery and power integrity in these increasingly complex assemblies. GlobalFoundries will provide manufacturing services to TSMC, which will incorporate the components into its broader CoWoS packaging ecosystem. The additional capacity is intended to support multiple product generations as AI accelerator designs evolve.

Volume production is expected to begin ramping during the first half of 2028. The initial five-year agreement establishes a framework for additional manufacturing capacity as customer demand increases. The collaboration expands GlobalFoundries’ participation in the AI semiconductor supply chain beyond its established specialty foundry, silicon photonics, and power semiconductor businesses. It also provides TSMC with a domestic U.S. manufacturing source for a critical advanced packaging component.

$2 Billion U.S. Advanced Packaging Agreement

Manufacturing — Silicon interposers for CoWoS advanced packaging

Technology — Advanced silicon interposers, including embedded deep trench capacitors

Applications — AI accelerators, HBM integration, high-performance computing

Analysis: Advanced Packaging Becomes a Strategic U.S. Manufacturing Priority

The agreement marks an important expansion of GlobalFoundries’ manufacturing relationship with TSMC and highlights the increasing importance of advanced packaging capacity in AI semiconductor production.

CoWoS is a foundational packaging technology for high-performance AI accelerators. Rather than relying on a single monolithic processor, CoWoS enables multiple semiconductor dies and HBM stacks to be integrated within a common package. Silicon interposers provide the dense electrical interconnections required to move data between these components.

The manufacturing challenge extends beyond producing the most advanced logic transistors. Advanced AI packages also require high-quality interposers, fine-pitch interconnects, power delivery components, substrates, assembly, and testing. The GlobalFoundries agreement addresses one component of this broader manufacturing chain.

Why Deep Trench Capacitors Matter

As AI accelerator packages grow in complexity, supplying stable power to high-performance processors and HBM stacks becomes increasingly difficult. Deep trench capacitors provide high-density capacitance within silicon structures. Integrating these components into interposers can help improve local power delivery and reduce voltage fluctuations associated with rapidly changing processor workloads. The announcement does not specify capacitance density, electrical performance, interposer dimensions, or supported CoWoS package configurations.

GlobalFoundries Expands Its AI Infrastructure Manufacturing Portfolio

The agreement fits into a broader expansion of GlobalFoundries’ AI-related semiconductor business spanning silicon photonics, advanced packaging, high-speed connectivity, and power semiconductor technologies. These technologies address different requirements within AI infrastructure: silicon interposers provide dense connectivity inside accelerator packages, while optical technologies support high-bandwidth connections between chips, boards, racks, and systems.

What Comes Next

The first-half 2028 volume production target establishes a defined manufacturing milestone. Important developments to track include manufacturing qualification, initial production yields, interposer dimensions, supported packaging generations, and potential expansion beyond the initial agreement. The companies have not disclosed annual production volumes, specific end customers, or allocation of the $2 billion across individual years. The announcement also does not establish that complete CoWoS packages will be assembled in New York; its confirmed scope is U.S. manufacturing of silicon interposers for TSMC’s packaging ecosystem.

Business — Specialty semiconductor foundry and manufacturing services

Technologies — Silicon photonics, RF-SOI, FD-SOI, SiGe, GaN, advanced packaging, silicon interposers

AI Infrastructure — CoWoS interposers, optical connectivity, CPO/NPO, power semiconductors

September 24, 2026 | Semiconductors Synopsys and TSMC Expand Collaboration Across A14, CoWoS and CPO

September 10, 2026 | Optical GlobalFoundries Maps Optical and Power Roadmaps for the AI Data Center

August 3, 2026 | Semiconductors MediaTek Advances CoWoS, EMIB-T and 3.5D Packaging Strategy

July 29, 2026 | CPO GlobalFoundries Expands SCALE Silicon Photonics Platform with $300M Award

March 30, 2026 | Advanced Packaging Camtek Lands $31M Order from OSAT for CoWoS-Like Advanced Packaging