"In terms of advanced technology, Intel has completed the fifth generation of technology in four years and will mass-produce the 18A process this year, but the problem they face is not the technology research and development itself.
For Intel, after the development of advanced processes is completed, how to succeed in the market is the key. In addition to Intel's own two processors, 18A has also attracted several customers. Previously, Qualcomm, NVIDIA and Apple were rumored to be interested in using Intel OEM.
However, these manufacturers have no confirmable orders yet, and it is hard to say whether 18A can share a piece of meat from the OEM market from TSMC.
According to Intel, even if the 18A process does not have the support of external customers, it can maintain profits only by relying on its own product line. After all, the 18A and the improved 18A-P process will be used until 2030.
Next is the 14A process. Compared with the 18A process, the next generation of High NA EUV lithography machine will be used to further increase transistor density, which is expected to be released in 2027.
"However, the 14A process is now facing a life-and-death decision. CEO Chen Liwu previously stated that if he cannot find external customers, the 14A process may not be able to upgrade or build a new wafer fab.
Next is the 10A process, which means that it is truly close to the physical limit of 1nm, with great technical challenges and is expected to be released in 2028 or 2029.
However, Intel has basically not disclosed the details of the 10A process. After all, if the 14A process does not continue to develop in the future, the fate of 10A will be even more lingering. After the 10A node, the next wave of extreme challenges in semiconductor technology has just begun. It is difficult to manufacture chips at this scale. Whether it is chip structure, semiconductor materials, and semiconductor production equipment, they must be followed up simultaneously. Even companies such as TSMC and Samsung do not have a clear roadmap to be announced. "
Source: Antutu Official Account