Intel has made some "serious" strides in the semiconductor industry, announcing its bleeding-edge 10A "1nm process" & revealing plans.
Intel Foundry Aims to Be The World's Largest Foundry By 2030 Seems Achievable, Talks Next-Gen 10A "1nm" Process Node Technology
Intel has finally announced an update on its 10A process node (1nm), and the firm now targets it beyond 2028. This means that Team Blue is three years ahead of the Taiwanese giant TSMC since they have planned the 1nm process by 2030. Moreover, IFS expects the 14A node (1.4nm) to get under production by 2026, which means that Intel is well on track to make its foundry division the world's biggest, mainly through superior processes being pushed out into the market way earlier than its competitors.
Regarding the details of Intel's 10A process, the firm didn't reveal much apart from the fact that one should expect double-digit performance gains, where we can expect a whopping 20% to 30% performance increment over the 14A. This is undoubtedly a massive achievement for Intel Foundry and could mark a potential comeback in the semiconductor markets since the firm has been waiting to get the spotlight, and it seems the best time for them now.
The Wafer-Fab capacity (k-wspw) slide is particularly interesting in the sense that it shows that the Intel 4, Intel 3, Intel 20A, and Intel 18A would scale up in production only by 2026+ while Intel 14A and Intel 10A capacity is expected to be low even beyond 2028+. All nodes beyond Intel 7 will be employing the use of EUV.
Apart from revealing the 10A process, CEO Pat Gelsinger expressed the firm's focus on their 18A process, claiming that he has put his whole company's best on the 1.8nm node.
In an interview with TechTechPotato, Pat Gelsinger reiterated the firm's dependency on the success of the 18A process, claiming that it has been the most prominent "financial" bet the firm has ever made. Well, his statement isn't shocking at all because 18A is known to be one of the most advanced processes in modern times, being equipped with technologies such as the PowerVia. Moreover, Intel depends on the node for an immediate comeback, which is why it holds great significance.
Based on the indicators we have seen up till now, IFS could place itself in a tremendous strategic spot, given that the firm successfully delivers top-class nodes without issues such as low yield rates or production volumes. The blue team has already secured a $15 billion contract from Microsoft on its 18A process, and we might see the foundry equal to the likes of TSMC at this pace.
News Source: Tom's Hardware
