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Chip manufacturers such as TSMC and Samsung have used the EUV lithography machine process to manufacture chips in large quantities, producing chip products from 7nm to 4nm. However, more and more manufacturers use the EUV process to make chips, including Intel, which has also begun to build an EUV process fab factory in Ireland in Europe and used for mass production of 4nm chips, in order to surpass TSMC.
This can't help but make people wonder, why did Intel break through to 4nm so quickly? Can Intel surpass TSMC?
Intel high-end lithography machine ready
The world's manufacturers of high-end chips mainly include TSMC and Samsung, both of which have entered the 4nm process, and it will not be long before 3nm will achieve mass production.
But it is not only they who pursue the high-end chip manufacturing process, but also Intel intends to sprint the high-end process. In order to achieve mass production of high-end chips, Intel has made a lot of preparations, including purchasing a high-end EUV lithography machine equipment from ASML.
According to the news progress, Intel's high-end lithography machine is currently ready and will be installed at the Irish factory. The factory intel has been building construction for several years, and after the installation of the EUV lithography machine began this time, it means that the factory will become an important chip for Intel to enter the high-end chip market.
Now that Intel has used an EUV lithography machine, the chips produced will certainly not be low-end. According to the process roadmap and development needs announced by Intel, Intel plans to mass-produce the process of 4nm.
It is estimated that many people have questioned this, Intel's 4nm is difficult to achieve the same as TSMC, Samsung's 4nm, can achieve the corresponding process performance? And Intel previously announced the delay of 7nm mass production, why can it break through to 4nm in such a short period of time?
In fact, this is related to Intel's process naming. The Intel 4nm process referred to above should be intel 4 to be precise.
Intel unveiled a future-proof process roadmap at the 2021 Investor Conference and renamed the process name. There are a total of five process nodes, including 10nm, Intel 7, Intel 4, Intel 3, 20A.
These five process nodes Intel intends to launch within 4 years, which means that by 2025, Intel needs to overcome at least 20A.
According to Intel's process naming method, this Intel 4 may not be the same as TSMC's 4nm. In fact, there is no unified standard for the naming of chip processes, and how many nanometers are only traditional measurement methods. Intel abandoned the traditional naming method and instead defined the chip process by the existing Intel+ way of how many numbers to add.
So why Intel can break through to "4nm" so quickly is actually related to Intel's process naming method and the deviation of traditional cognition.
In other words, Intel's mass production intel 4 is a new chip name that he identified himself, not the mainstream 4nm in the current market. Of course, with Intel's technical level, Intel 4 can at least rank among the high-end queues. With the EUV high-end lithography machine, it is not a problem to occupy a place in the global high-end chip market.
Intel has a lofty goal, not only to complete the mass production of fifth-generation process chips in three or four years, but also to catch up with TSMC. In this regard, Intel has launched a chip foundry business and intends to make more powerful chips.
According to Intel's idea, most of them want to break the wrist of chip foundry and TSMC, the question is can Intel surpass TSMC?
Can Intel surpass TSMC?
Intel is the world's largest manufacturer of CPU chips, and the history of chip manufacturing is longer than TSMC. It is only TSMC that took the lead in opening the era of chip foundry, coupled with the continuous exploration of vertical chip manufacturing for many years, and gradually surpassed Intel in its technology and market position.
As the United States pays more and more attention to chip manufacturing, Intel has also included chip manufacturing in the company's key development goals. At present, many commercial layout actions are centered on chip manufacturing, and it is obvious that it is necessary to continue on this road.
It's just that there is a big mountain like TSMC on this road, but all large companies with some lofty ambitions will surpass TSMC as a goal. So, can Intel do that? It depends on Intel's strengths and weaknesses.
Intel's biggest advantage at present is that it has strong financial support. The United States has made it clear that it will set aside $52 billion for chip subsidies to chipmakers who have built factories in their home countries, and Intel will certainly receive large subsidies.
With these funds, Intel purchases semiconductor equipment, recruits talents, and builds a sound industrial chain. In addition, in terms of technology, Intel has reopened its route and intends to move towards the Amy era, indicating that Intel's technology accumulation is not much.
As for the disadvantages, the main thing is that Intel does not have the same number of EUV lithography machines as TSMC, which determines that Intel's high-end chip production capacity is not as good as TSMC.
There is also TSMC's development of chip foundry time for a long time, many customer resources, many things of Intel have just started, and it is not easy to surpass.
On the whole, Intel's idea of surpassing TSMC will be very difficult to implement, after all, what Samsung has not been able to do for so many years, Intel cannot reach the top as soon as it comes up, and it depends on time precipitation.
summary
Intel's high-end lithography machine is ready to produce "4nm" chips. As for the goal of surpassing TSMC, I am afraid that it will not be completed for a while and a half. And TSMC is also keeping moving forward, building factories in the United States and actively developing 3nm processes will increase TSMC's strength. Who is the main ups and downs in the chip market depends on their respective strengths.
What do you think about that?
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