INTEL’S CEO PAT GELSINGER had a big plan in 2021—that the company would produce five process nodes in four years, giving it process leadership. That time is nearly up, with Intel 7 appearing in Alder Lake and then Raptor Lake, and Intel 4 appearing at the end of last year in the processor tiles on the Meteor Lake. Intel 20A has yet to appear, but is due to debut with Arrow Lake later this year. That leaves the final piece, Intel 18A, due next year.
It was an ambitious and risky plan, so risky that Gelsinger has admitted that “this is the biggest bet we have ever made as a company, because it also puts incredible stress on the financials of the company.” Yikes, sounds serious, although it seems unlikely. 18A is the process that Gelsinger hopes will make Intel the second biggest customer foundry in the world, usurping Samsung.