Acted last week, the merger between MediaTek and Intel will lead IFS, Intel’s foundry service, to take over the production of certain chips designed by the Taiwanese MediaTek. We now have a first idea of which…
It’s been official for a few days, MediaTek will have some of its processors manufactured at IFS (Intel’s Foundry Services). A week after the agreement signed between the two groups, more details are emerging on the terms of this partnership. The Taiwanese press has revealed in particular which burning process MediaTek intends to use when moving to Intel.
Chips at Intel… but on an aging process
We learn in particular the Asian giant will bet initially on the Intel 16 process, corresponding in reality to an engraving in 22 nm. It’s an old burning protocol, not aimed at MediaTek’s newest flagships in the mobile chip field, but rather at the wide range of less technologically advanced products that the semiconductor designer also relies on. a lot.
As reported TechPowerUpthe CEO of MediaTek, Rick Tsai, hinted that the 22 nm node proposed by IFS would be used in particular for the manufacture of chips intended for televisions as well as certain types of Wi-Fi routers. also added that part of the orders placed with Intel will not be intended for MediaTek itself, but for some of its subsidiaries, such as MStar or Airoha.
“Small” Taiwanese foundries could be impacted
As it happens, MStar is effectively a company that produces a wide range of entry-level chips for affordable smart TVs, while Airoha has taken over Mediatek’s networking and Bluetooth businesses. MediaTek produces, in its own name, some products of this type, but the brand has increasingly focused its activity on the design of much more technically advanced chips, dedicated among other things to smartphones and tablets. For these chips, more recent etching processes (between 7 and 4 nm currently) are required… and it is for the moment TSMC which is responsible for their manufacture.
MediaTek’s move to IFS may, however, have consequences for “small” independent foundries such as UMC (United Microelectronics Corporation) or PSMC (Powerchip Semiconductor Corporation). Because if the agreement continues to be in good shape between MediaTek and Intel, the latter could well see a significant part of their activity decrease seriously in the coming years.
Source : TechPowerUp
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