Securing highest-profile global customers
Announcing a full-fledged competition with TSMC and Samsung
Introducing the Technology Roadmap by 2025
Aiming to implement 2nm/1.8nm process
Intel is accelerating its foundry business by securing Qualcomm and Amazon as customers. It also presented a roadmap for implementing 2nm semiconductor process technology in three years. While the competition between TSMC and Samsung Electronics to develop 3nm process technology is in full swing, Intel is drawing attention by mentioning 2nm technology, even as a latecomer to the market.
As Intel, with its 'Integrated Device Manufacturer (IDM) 2.0' roadmap at the forefront, launches a full-fledged propulsion in the foundry market, which will inevitable bring changes in the market.
Intel introduced the semiconductor process technology roadmap by 2025 at the online technology strategy briefing session 'Intel Accelerated' on the 26th (PCT).It announced that it has secured Qualcomm, the world's largest telecommunication chip company, and Amazon Web Services (AWS) as customers.
Qualcomm and AWS are the first foundry customer after the announcing Intel’s re-entry to the foundry market in March with its 'IDM 2.0' strategy. Qualcomm has entrusted TSMC and Samsung Electronics to the produce core application processors (APs) such as Snapdragon thus far. A three-way war became inevitable with Intel's re-entry to the market. Due to Qualcomm chips’ large production capability and variety of products, it can affect the foundry market depending on who can produce more chips. Intel plans to produce Qualcomm chips by 2024.
AWS has become an Intel's next-generation packaging services customer.Intel unveiled at the briefing session that it is expected to apply new packaging technologies such as 'Foveros Omni' and 'Foveros Direct' to AWS chip production.
Intel’s CEO Pat Gelsinger said, "We kept close technical relationships with our two customers for a long time. The collaboration with Qualcomm is related to 'major mobile platforms.’”
Intel disclosed a detailed semiconductor process roadmap for the next four years. The goal is to introduce 'Intel 20A', a 2nm process technology, by 2024, and 'Intel 18A' process, a 1.8nm process technology, by 2025.Intel also revealed its ambition to eliminate the existing nanometer unit process technology and introduce the era of 'Angstrom' (Å), which is 0.1 nm. It is interpreted as an attempt to differentiate itself with a unique product line to break away from competitors’ nm marketing. Intel’s Qualcomm chips will be produced using the Intel 20A process.
The transistor architecture 'Ribbon FET' released by Intel for the first time in 10 years since Fin FET is also in the spotlight. It is a technology that increases the number of gate and channel junctions that control the current in semiconductors. It is equivalent to TSMC’s and Samsung Electronics’ 'Gate All Around' (GAA), which are to be applied in the 3-nm process. Ribbon FET’s signal processing and power efficiency are excellent. TSMC and Samsung Electronics plan to commercialize GAA as early as 2023. Intel's Ribbon FET is scheduled to be mass produced in 2024, and expected to go head-to-head with GAA technology.
Intel decided to receive ASML Holding’s exclusive product, next-generation extreme ultraviolet (EUV) equipment (High-NA). It is interpreted as an attempt to regain leadership in the semiconductor process by introducing exposure units that can draw ultra-fine circuits.
CEO Gelsinger said, ”The innovations unveiled today (26th) will not only enable Intel's product roadmap, but will also play a very important role for our foundry customers. The 'Intel Foundry Service'(IFS) will now begin in its full effect.”
By Staff Reporter Dongjoon Kwon (djkwon@etnews.com)