According to media reports, Intel's Senior Vice President Anne Kelleher revealed details about the Intel 14A process technology at the SPIE 2024 Optics and Photonics Conference.
During the recent IFS Direct Connect event, Intel shared the latest progress on its "4 years, 5 nodes" process roadmap and announced plans beyond the Intel 18A process, including enhancements to the Intel 14A process technology and several specialized nodes.
Intel plans to introduce High-NA EUV exposure equipment only with the Intel 14A process, with Intel 18A being in the developmental and learning phase.
Recently, at the SPIE 2024 Optics and Photonics Conference, Anne Kelleher, Senior Vice President at Intel, revealed that Intel 14A will offer a 15% improvement in energy efficiency compared to Intel 18A process technology. Additionally, the enhanced version, Intel 14A-E, will bring an additional 5% energy improvement over Intel 14A.
Compared to Intel 18A process technology, Intel 14A process technology will see a 20% increase in transistor density.
According to Intel's roadmap, Intel 14A process technology is expected to enter mass production as early as 2026, while Intel 14A-E is slated for 2027.
However, Intel has not announced any products utilizing Intel 14A and Intel 14A-E process technologies yet.
Despite viewing TSMC as a competitor in the foundry market, Intel is increasingly outsourcing the production of smaller chips, including critical compute chips, to TSMC. Nevertheless, Intel continues to maintain a competitive and collaborative relationship with TSMC.
Reports indicate that at the Investor Network Webinar on Foundry Mode in June 2023, Intel outlined a shift in its internal foundry business model. Starting from the first quarter of 2024, design and manufacturing operations will be separated. The internal design department will establish customer-supplier relationships with the manufacturing department operating independently and reporting finances separately.
Through this restructuring, Intel aims to gain the trust of customers and hopes to surpass Samsung and become the second-largest player in the foundry market by 2030.
