Intel has launched Intel Foundry as a more sustainable systems foundry business designed for the AI era and announced an expanded process roadmap designed to establish leadership into the latter part of this decade.
The company also highlighted customer momentum and support from ecosystem partners – including Synopsys, Cadence, Siemens and Ansys – who outlined their readiness to accelerate Intel Foundry customers’ chip designs with tools, design flows and IP portfolios validated for Intel’s advanced packaging and Intel 18A process technologies.
The announcements were made at the Intel Foundry Direct Connect event, where the company gathered customers, ecosystem companies and leaders from across the industry.
“AI is profoundly transforming the world and how we think about technology and the silicon that powers it,” says Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger. “This is creating an unprecedented opportunity for the world’s most innovative chip designers and for Intel Foundry, the world’s first systems foundry for the AI era.
“Together, we can create new markets and revolutionise how the world uses technology to improve people’s lives.”
Intel’s extended process technology roadmap adds Intel 14A to the company’s leading-edge node plan, in addition to several specialized node evolutions. Intel also affirmed that its ambitious five-nodes-in-four-years (5N4Y) process roadmap remains on track and will deliver the industry’s first backside power solution.
Company leaders expect Intel will regain process leadership with Intel 18A in 2025.
The new roadmap includes evolutions for Intel 3, Intel 18A and Intel 14A process technologies. It includes Intel 3-T, which is optimized with through-silicon vias for 3D advanced packaging designs and will soon reach manufacturing readiness.
Also highlighted are mature process nodes, including new 12 nanometer nodes expected through the joint development with UMC announced last month. These evolutions are designed to enable customers to develop and deliver products tailored to their specific needs.
Intel Foundry plans a new node every two years and node evolutions along the way, giving customers a path to continuously evolve their offerings on Intel’s leading process technology.
Intel also announced the addition of Intel Foundry FCBGA 2D+ to its suite of ASAT offerings, which already include FCBGA 2D, EMIB, Foveros and Foveros Direct.
Customers are supporting Intel’s long-term systems foundry approach. During Pat Gelsinger’s keynote, Microsoft chairman and CEO Satya Nadella stated that Microsoft has chosen a chip design it plans to produce on the Intel 18A process.
“We are in the midst of a very exciting platform shift that will fundamentally transform productivity for every individual organization and the entire industry,” Nadella said. “To achieve this vision, we need a reliable supply of the most advanced, high-performance and high-quality semiconductors.
“That’s why we are so excited to work with Intel Foundry, and why we have chosen a chip design that we plan to produce on Intel 18A process.”