New Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger told the investor conference that he himself had reviewed the company’s 7nm process over the past week and that “he is satisfied with the health and recovery of the program. Gelsinger also said that given the breadth of the company’s portfolio, Intel will expand the use of external foundries for certain products. However, he is confident that the majority of Intel’s CPU products for 2023 will come from its own factories. The company plans to release more details after the Gelsinger buyout in February.
Intel 7nm, ready for 2023?
In particular, it’s worth noting that this 2023 forecast is still below Intel’s initial forecast for its 7-nanometer process but is in line with the 6-month timeframe the company described when it said it had issues in the process. making said knot. Gelsinger noted that while his superficial research into the 7nm nodes took place over the past week, it builds on data collected over the past six months as Intel investigated performance issues with him.
Intel CEO Bob Swan intervened in more detail, saying Intel’s performance issues with the 7nm process were due to difficulties with a sequence of steps in the production process that introduced flaws. “By restructuring these steps, we were able to resolve the defects”, Swan said. He also said the company has streamlined and streamlined the process to ensure the company can meet its roadmap by 2023, implying that there could be significant changes in design and goals. performance of its 7-nanometer node.
So it looks like the plans are still in place, and Intel’s first 7nm chips will be released in 2023, with mainstream processors in the first half of the year and server variants to follow. This timeline still leaves Intel’s rivals like TTSMC and Samsung with a fairly significant advantage, as TSMC is expected to be in full production of its 3nm node by 2023, which explains Intel’s continued need to outsource some products. Intel plans to leverage its packaging technology and unbundled design philosophy to incorporate externally produced chips into its own products.
Intel plans to compete with TSMC and Samsung in process technology
Gelsinger also said the company remains committed to re-establishing its leadership in compute node technology, saying that “He is not interested in filling the gaps, but in being the clear leader in process technology.
Swan also reiterated Intel’s commitment to preserving its IDM advantage, echoing its own comments in recent interviews, which means the company will continue to focus on producing its own chips. Intel’s CFO also stepped in to say it was increasing its spending and investment in 7nm tools for in-house production.
Gelsinger noted that Intel will only share its detailed manufacturing plans after assuming the role of CEO next month. He said he will make key leadership changes and more leaders will return to the company, as has happened before with Glenn Hinton (Nehalem’s father) who has already joined the company. He also commented that “We are committed to innovating and providing the best products in all the markets in which we compete.”
Finally, it should be mentioned that Intel continues to delay its outlook for the full year until the next call for financial results. Intel’s press release also says they have quadrupled their growth in the 10nm supply unit, which has long been plagued by low yields, but they did not provide a baseline on the actual volume of 10nm in production.
