All articles tagged with #chip fabrication
Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan says the company will publicly disclose the scope and nature of its involvement with Elon Musk’s Terafab chip project in the coming weeks, following Intel’s announcement of a strategic alliance with SpaceX, xAI and Tesla to help build two Austin, Texas fabs—one for automotive/robotics chips and one for AI data-center chips—while Tan tasks CTO Pushkar Ranade with managing the collaboration.
Elon Musk announced plans to build a Terafab chip fabrication plant in Austin, Texas, to scale chip production for robotics, AI, and space data centers, to be run jointly by Tesla and SpaceX; no timeline was given, and Bloomberg noted Musk’s lack of semiconductor manufacturing experience and a history of over-promising timelines.
Rumors suggest Apple may again use Intel as a chip fabricator (not designer) for future iPhone silicon, with Intel's 14A process targeting mass production around 2028; Apple would design the chips while TSMC remains the primary manufacturer, and Intel's involvement could extend to Mac and iPad chips to diversify supply amid chip-supply pressures.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is seeking $8-$10 billion to establish chip fabrication plants dedicated to semiconductors, a crucial component for AI technology. He has approached entities such as G42 and SoftBank for investment and is reportedly considering collaboration with companies like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Samsung, and Intel. The demand and supply of semiconductors have driven Altman's intent to build these plants, as OpenAI continues to expand its AI offerings, including the popular ChatGPT chatbot.
Micron, the only memory chip manufacturer in the U.S., is facing challenges due to China's ban on U.S. technologies and a slump in smartphone sales. However, the company is investing $15 billion to build the biggest chip fabrication plant in U.S. history in Boise, Idaho, and plans to increase the U.S. share of dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) production from 2% to 15% by 2026. Micron is also investing $100 billion over 20 years to build four fabs in upstate New York. The company aims to diversify its base and reduce reliance on China while benefiting from government incentives and the CHIPS and Science Act.
Intel plans to surpass Samsung Foundry and TSMC by 2025 with its 1.8nm semiconductor chips. After struggling with 14nm and 10nm nodes, Intel aims to refocus on improving its processes and is on track to start fabricating 18A chips by 2025. The company is already using its Intel 7 and Intel 4 processes for current chips and plans to introduce Intel 20A and Intel 18A processes in the coming years. However, it remains to be seen if Intel's claims will hold true, as Samsung Foundry and TSMC are also developing their own advanced chip fabrication processes.