In in the present day’s Intel Accelerated occasion, the corporate is driving a stake into the bottom relating to the place it needs to be by 2025. CEO Pat Gelsinger earlier this yr said that Intel can be returning to product management in 2025, however hasn’t but defined how that is coming about – that’s till in the present day, the place Intel has disclosed its roadmap for its subsequent 5 generations of course of node know-how resulting in 2025. Intel believes it may well observe an aggressive technique to match and cross its foundry rivals, whereas on the identical time creating new packaging choices and beginning a foundry enterprise for exterior clients. On prime of all this, Intel has renamed its course of nodes.
The Short Answer:
If you solely take one factor away from this text, I’m going to place it right here entrance and heart. Here is what we’re seeing for Intel’s roadmaps, based mostly on their disclosures in the present day.
As at all times, there’s a distinction between when a know-how ramps for manufacturing and involves retail; Intel spoke about some applied sciences as ‘being prepared’, whereas others had been ‘ramping’, so this timeline is just these dates as talked about. As you may think, every course of node is prone to exist for a number of years, this graph is just showcasing the main know-how from Intel at any given time.
If you need the small print on this graph, then learn on.
Intel’s Defines a Strong Future: Is TSMC at Risk?
Earlier this yr, CEO Pat Gelsinger introduced Intel’s new IDM 2.zero technique, consisting of three components:
- Build (7nm)
- Expand (TSMC)
- Productize (Intel Foundry Services)
The objective right here is to proceed to work on Intel’s course of node know-how growth, going past the present 10nm designs in manufacturing in the present day, however concurrently utilizing different foundry providers from companions (or opponents) to regain/retain Intel’s place in its processors that drive a variety of the corporate income. The third ingredient is IFS, Intel’s Foundry Services, the place Intel is committing in a giant solution to opening up its manufacturing services to exterior semiconductor enterprise.
Underpinning (1) and (3) is how Intel executes by itself course of node growth. While in Intel’s current Q3 2021 earnings name CEO Gelsinger confirmed that Intel is now producing extra 10nm wafers in a day than 14nm wafers, marking a shift in confidence between the 2 designs, it’s no secret that Intel has had issue in transitioning from its 14nm course of to its 10nm course of. On June 29th this yr, Intel additionally said that its subsequent technology 10nm product requires extra validation time to streamline deployment on enterprise techniques for 2022. Note that on the identical time, TSMC has surpassed Intel by transport at capability with its equal designs (known as 7nm) and its forefront (5nm) designs that surpass Intel’s efficiency.
As with the earlier announcement in March, Intel is reaffirming that it intends to return to management efficiency in semiconductors in 2025. This will allow each the corporate to compete higher because it builds its personal merchandise (1) but in addition provide a wider portfolio of efficiency and applied sciences for its future IFS clients (3). To do that, it’s realigning the roadmap for its future course of node applied sciences to be extra aggressive with enhancements, but on the identical time extra modular with its know-how to allow sooner transitions.
Leading up this plan is Dr. Ann B Kelleher, who was named SVP and GM of the Technology Development division at Intel final yr. This division is the place all of the analysis and growth of Intel’s future course of node applied sciences and enhancements comes from – it was a part of Intel’s System Architecture Group, nonetheless it was cut up in July 2020 to re-establish a spotlight purely on Technology Development. Dr. Kelleher’s background…
