Intel Strikes Back
Intel has launched a counteroffensive to gain the upper hand in the “semiconductor dominance competition” by innovating on the structure of semiconductors. It has succeeded in developing and applying next-generation technology that supplies power from the back of the wafer that drives semiconductors. This is a first in the semiconductor industry. Intel plans to use this technology with 2-nano process semiconductors that will be commercialized next year. Intel's strategy is to change the landscape of the semiconductor industry by allowing Intel Foundry Service customers to also utilize it.
According to the semiconductor industry on June 6, Intel has successfully implemented the PowerVia technology for next-generation processes, which supplies power from the back. Intel has created and tested a chip that uses PowerVia, the Meteor Lake E-core. As a result, the speed of the core (computing unit) improved by 6% and more than 30% of the power supply issues at the packaging stage were resolved. Intel also explained that the overheating problem caused by semiconductor miniaturization was significantly improved in the PowerVia test chip.
The power supply method only signals from above the transistor and only supplies power from below, preventing interference and improving power efficiency and even semiconductor performance. Major semiconductor companies like Samsung Electronics and TSMC are focusing their research on this as next-generation technology. However, it is known that they are still struggling with the technical implementation. TSMC is targeting the application of this technology by 2026.
Intel plans to adopt PowerVia as part of the Intel 20A (2-nanometer class) process in the first half of next year. It also plans to apply the next-generation transistor structure “RibbonFET.” With PowerVia and RibbonFET at the forefront, Intel intends to quickly catch up with the advanced semiconductor processes of TSMC and Samsung Electronics. Ben Sell, vice president of Intel's Technology Development Division, expressed confidence, saying, “We were able to bring the backend power supply technology to the market one step ahead of our competitors. This will be a major milestone in achieving the goal of installing 1 trillion transistors in a single package by 2030.”