Little by little, Intel is catching up with the technological delay it had on TSMC and even seems to be on its way to becoming the sector leader again.
In July 2021, shortly after Pat Gelsinger took over, Intel introduced 20A engraving technology. This is a 5nm process, but Intel compares it to the 2nm of its competitors.
Design phase completed
Good news then, a little less than two years after this introduction, the development of the Intel 20A seems to be going according to plan. So, reported by Tom’s HardwareWang Rui’s words are more than reassuring.
The head of the Chinese division of Intel said that the development of the 20A process is complete. In other words, there are no further developments or modifications planned. However, this does not mean that Intel will be able to produce 20A semiconductors tomorrow.
Indeed, if the definition of the specifications and needs of this technology is stopped, and if the tools and software necessary for its production are determined, it still remains for Intel to order everything it needs in order to set up its production lines.
In order for production in early 2024
Still, this announcement is an important step for Intel, which is perfectly in the nails to enter its production phase. This will lead to the replacement of FinFET transistors by RibbonFETs.
On the roadmap side, it should be noted that the Intel 20A process should not be used before the first half of next year for the production of the Arrow Lake generation processors. But good news never comes alone, the rest of the operations are already on the right track.
Wang Rui said that next to 20A, Intel engineers have completed work around 18A. Again, mass production is not expected for several months, but Intel is well connected with its plans to release 18A processors, not expected before the second half of 2024.
Source : Tom’s Hardware
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