Intel's progress in process technology is being fully recognized by third parties

     Intel CEO Pat Kissinger said that Intel will complete its "four years, five process nodes" plan as planned or ahead of schedule, and the progress Intel has made in process technology is fully recognized by third parties.

     In July 2021, Intel announced its "Five Process Nodes in Four Years" plan to regain process leadership by 2025 by advancing five process nodes - Intel 7, Intel 4, Intel 3, Intel 20A, and Intel 18A - over the (then) next four years. The plan also marks a change in the way Intel names process nodes, which in the semiconductor industry no longer represent the specific physical characteristics of a chip, but still represent improvements in performance and energy efficiency.

     The program is more than half way through, and according to Pat Kissinger, Intel is steadily getting closer to its realization: the Intel 7 is already in mass production; Using EUV (extreme ultraviolet lithography) technology, Intel 4 has also achieved mass production, and Intel Core Ultra processors based on this node will be launched on December 14; The Intel 3 will be ready for production by the end of 2023, supporting Intel's first two Intel 3-based products, the energy-efficient core Xeon processor Sierra Forest, which will be available in the first half of 2024, and the high-performance core Xeon processor Granite Rapids, which will follow shortly thereafter. in terms of production steps, Sierra Forest has come off the wafer and Granite Rapids has completed design certification (TAPE-IN) as expected and started in-fab pilot production.

     Next, Intel 20A is expected to be ready for production in the first half of 2024, and Intel 18A is expected to be ready for production in the second half of 2024, through these two nodes, Intel will enter the era of angstrom. Intel's main product on the Intel 20A process node, the client processor Arrow Lake, is already running Windows and showing excellent features. In addition, Intel has reached a key milestone for the Intel 18A process node with the release of version 0.9 of the PDK (Process Design Kit), which will soon be available to external customers. The first products built on Intel's 18A process nodes will be preproduced in fabs in the first half of 2024, including Clearwater Forest for servers, Panther Lake for clients, and a growing number of Intel foundry services test chips.

     Where does Intel's confidence in its "five process nodes in four years" plan come from? Pat Kissinger believes that Intel will insist on checking each node one by one in the process of advancing the plan, so this plan is not to build a castle in the air, but a solid and rigorous project.

     In addition, Intel has also applied many innovative technologies to the new node, in addition to accelerating the adoption of EUV technology, Intel has also completed the research and development of PowerVia backside power supply technology and RibbonFET fully surround gate transistors, which will be used for Intel 20A and Intel 18A. By moving the power cord to the back of the wafer, PowerVia improved both transistor power supply and signal transmission, while RibbonFET allowed the transistor channel to be completely surrounded by the gate, further driving transistor size reduction and performance improvement. In Intel's third quarter 2023 earnings call, Pat Kissinger was excited about the two technologies: "I have been making chips for more than 40 years, and I have never seen such a beautiful transistor, which is a piece of art!"

     Talking about the importance of the "four years five process nodes" plan, Pat Kissinger said that the basis of Intel's transformation is to re-establish a leading position in transistor performance and energy efficiency, "only in four years to promote five process nodes, fulfill the promise, and achieve our goals, everyone will believe Intel."

     Intel's aggressive investment is also gaining increasing recognition from third-party customers, even though the plan was considered "mission impossible" when it was announced. In Intel foundry services, a key customer committed to and paid upfront for Intel 18A and Intel 3, and found that the chips designed and produced by Intel Foundry Services performed well in terms of power consumption, performance and area efficiency; Recently, two new customers focused on high-performance computing signed on to adopt the Intel 18A. Previously, Intel also reached a strategic cooperation agreement with Syrs Technology to develop IP based on Intel 3 and Intel 18A process nodes for Intel's internal and external foundry customers, and signed an agreement with Arm involving multi-generation cutting-edge system chip design, enabling chip design companies to use Intel 18A to develop low-power computing system-level chips. Swedish telecom equipment maker Ericsson will also use Intel 18A to build custom 5G system-level chips.

     In recent years, the discussion of the vitality of Moore's Law has been rampant, and Pat Kissinger said that Intel will continue to be a loyal "guardian" of Moore's Law, mining the infinite possibilities of the periodic table of elements, and constantly promote technological progress. Intel is working hard to explore how to extend this lead in the future, such as being the first to introduce glass substrates for the next generation of advanced packaging, which can further improve density and performance, and have unique optical properties. Intel will also begin installing the world's first commercial High Numerical Aperture (high-NA) EUV tool by the end of this year. Next year, Intel will develop a new plan after "four years and five process nodes," and continue to push forward innovation after regaining process leadership.