Intel has begun producing Intel 4 technology, which uses extreme ultraviolet (EUV) technology, and the first use of EUV in high-volume manufacturing (HVM) in Europe.
The arrival of this important moment ushers in the future for products like Intel’s upcoming Intel Core Ultra processors (code-named Meteor Lake), which will pave the way for AI PCs, as well as future-generation Intel Xeon processors coming in 2024 and produced on the Intel 3 process node.
EUV technology employed in the production of Intel 4 is broadly adopted in leading-edge semiconductor technology nodes that power the most demanding computing applications, such as artificial intelligence (AI), advanced mobile networks, autonomous driving, and new data center and cloud applications.
EUV plays a critical role in driving Intel toward its goals of delivering five nodes in four years and regaining leadership in process technology by 2025.
“I am proud of the Intel team as well as our customers, suppliers and partners who worked with us to bring this moment to life and keep us on the path back to process leadership,” says Pat Gelsinger, Intel CEO. “The Silicon Isle has always been core to our long-term strategy, and today’s opening of Fab 34 contributes to the EU’s goal of creating a more resilient and sustainable semiconductor supply chain.”
The opening of Fab 34 in Leixlip, Ireland, combined with Intel’s planned wafer fabrication facility in Magdeburg, Germany, and planned assembly and test facility in Wrocław, Poland, will help create a first-of-its-kind end-to-end semiconductor manufacturing value chain in Europe.
As the home for industries at the vanguard of technology – AI, telecommunications, data centre, automotive and others – Europe needs a resilient leading-edge semiconductor supply chain. Intel aims to help Europe realise its technological ambitions and, in turn, to building a global semiconductor supply chain that is resilient and geographically balanced.
“Intel’s Ireland operations are a cornerstone of our global manufacturing footprint, and an important part of building an end-to-end semiconductor manufacturing value chain in Europe,” says Keyvan Esfarjani, executive vice-president and chief global operations officer at Intel.
“As we continue to advance our 17-billion-euro investment, this marks a significant milestone and a win for our Ireland operations as it brings Intel’s latest and greatest Intel 4 technology utilizing EUV to Fab 34, Ireland and Europe.”
Dr Ann Kelleher, executive vice-president and GM of technology development at Intel, says: “This is a landmark for Intel and the semiconductor industry as a whole. The transfer of Intel 4 process technology into high-volume production in Ireland is a giant step toward enabling leading-edge manufacturing in Europe and a huge moment for our technology development teams in Oregon, too.”
The process development and early HVM on Intel 4 technology – which delivers significant improvements in performance, power efficiency and transistor density compared with earlier technologies – was performed in Intel’s development fab in Oregon.
“The opening of Fab 34 marks yet another historic day for Intel and for the team in Ireland. Since arriving here in 1989, Intel has been an anchor of our country’s industrial development, and today the company is once again demonstrating its commitment to leading-edge technology from Ireland,” says Leo Varadkar, Irish Taoiseach.
“This milestone comes at a pivotal time for the industry, as Europe puts in place the building blocks to increase its semiconductor capacity. We look forward to the role that Ireland can play in realising the region’s ambitions.”