Intel, which has declared its ambition to surpass Samsung Electronics and claim the second spot in the foundry, or semiconductor contract manufacturing, industry next year, showcased its technological prowess by unveiling its first-ever 18A wafer prototype in the 1.8-nanometer (nm) range, demonstrating its determination.
According to industry sources on Sept. 20, Intel held the “Intel Innovation 2023” event in San Jose, California, on Sept. 19 (local time), where it unveiled its first-ever 1.8-nm wafer prototype. The 1.8-nm wafer is a product that Intel is planning to mass produce by 2025.
Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger, who has been leading the company since 2021, set a goal to achieve five process technologies within four years after taking office. These five processes include Intel 7 at the 10-nm class, Intel 4 at the 7-nm class, Intel 3 at the 4-nm class, Intel 20A at the 2-nm class, and Intel 18A at the 1.8nm class. Currently, Intel has completed the manufacturing preparations for the Intel 4 process, and it plans to complete the manufacturing preparations for Intel 3 by the end of the year.
If Intel successfully begins mass production of 1.8-nm class products by 2025 as planned, it will surpass Samsung Electronics in the leading-edge semiconductor process. Samsung Electronics, which is manufacturing 3-nm chips, is scheduled to commence full-scale production of 2-nm chips, primarily for mobile products, in 2025. Samsung’s leading-edge 1.4-nm chips will be manufactured starting in 2027, a more advanced process compared to Intel’s 1.8 nm.
Industry experts acknowledge that Intel’s pursuit of leadership cannot be dismissed, but overtaking Samsung Electronics is seen as a formidable challenge. There are doubts about whether Intel can secure stable yields in the leading-edge semiconductor process. In fact, Intel withdrew from the foundry business in 2018 due to technical limitations, including yield issues, in its 7-nm process. Furthermore, in recent years, Intel has primarily operated its foundry business with a focus on its own products, raising uncertainties about whether it can meet the demands of external customers in terms of product quality and yield.
In terms of yield, Samsung Electronics is expected to have an advantage over Intel. Samsung Electronics has already been applying the next-generation transistor structure known as Gate-All-Around (GAA) technology to its 3-nm products in production, accumulating expertise in the process. Intel plans to implement its own-brand RibbonFET, a variant of GAA technology, in its 20A products, but production for 20A is not planned until the first half of next year.