Thursday, December 5th 2024
Intel 18A Process Node Clocks an Abysmal 10% Yield: Report
In case you're wondering why Intel went with TSMC 3 nm to build the Compute tile of its "Arrow Lake" processor, and the SoC tile of "Lunar Lake," instead of Intel 3, or even Intel 20A, perhaps there's more to the recent story about Broadcom voicing its disappointment in the Intel 18A foundry node. The September 2024 report didn't specify a number to what yields on the Intel 18A node looked like to spook Broadcom, but we now have some idea as to just how bad things are. Korean publication Chosun, which tracks developments in the electronics and ICT industries, reports that yields on the Intel 18A foundry node stand at an abysmal 10%, making it unfit for mass-production. Broadcom validated Intel 18A as it was prospecting a cutting-edge node for its high-bandwidth network processors.
The report also hints that Intel's in-house foundry nodes going off the rails could be an important event leading up to the company's Board letting go of former CEO Pat Gelsinger, as huge 2nd order effects will be felt across the company's entire product stack in development. For example, company roadmaps put the company's next-generation "Clearwater Forest" server processor, slated for 2025, as being designed for the Intel 18A node. Unless Intel Foundry can pull a miracle, an effort must be underway to redesign the chip for whichever TSMC node is considered cutting-edge in 2025.
Sources:
Chosun, Reuters, Notebookcheck
The report also hints that Intel's in-house foundry nodes going off the rails could be an important event leading up to the company's Board letting go of former CEO Pat Gelsinger, as huge 2nd order effects will be felt across the company's entire product stack in development. For example, company roadmaps put the company's next-generation "Clearwater Forest" server processor, slated for 2025, as being designed for the Intel 18A node. Unless Intel Foundry can pull a miracle, an effort must be underway to redesign the chip for whichever TSMC node is considered cutting-edge in 2025.
90 Comments on Intel 18A Process Node Clocks an Abysmal 10% Yield: Report
So in a very real, practical sense, after 10nm, Intel went into full stagnation mode, they have literally nothing yet. And that's after 10nm being plagued by delays.
Fail harder, I dare you. Its going to be a real achievement. One might say they've taken their quad core approach up in the company culture, stagnation is the golden rule, anything else an exception. Or put differently, they reap what they sow, or more accurately: Karma is a Bitch.
Six whole years of nothing. And nothing on the horizon.
Between this fiasco and Ubisoft's constant failrace I might just run out of popcorn altogether, damn. Its very enjoyable to see the world still works as it should: you underdeliver, you pay the price. Its very positive to see this happening. Failures should not be cultivated.
Jokes aside, who knows, they might still up those yield numbers. But, if 10% is what they are starting off on, that might be difficult or take so long that the node will be uncompetitive.
Good point. They are effectively engaged in a VERY high stakes game of Russian roulette. If they manage to win they stand to gain MASSIVELY and will have something to show to ask for more government support. But if this gamble fails… I dunno, I can actually see them selling or spinning off their foundries.
You simply can't turn on a foundry switch to make good yield.....you need to let the engineers go at it but that costs a lot of money and they probably didn't want to invest that......and in the end it went down step by step.....but it was covered by still good sales and numbers...... till AMD gained market share....
fixed
Intel 7 is a straight up name change of 10 nm
Intel 4 only used for a few laptop CPUs
Intel 3 only used for a few data center CPUs
TSMC 3 thru 6 used for data center GPUs, desktop CPUs and GPUs, mobile CPUs and GPUs and more
Intel 20A cancelled
Intel 18A horrible yields
Did I miss anything or get something wrong because the above means that nothing really came after 10 nm from Intel?
Personally, I don't care much who builds what. Bur as long as demand is so much higher than the supply, we need all the fabs in tip-top shape.
Having a shrink and PowerVia onto a single process may be too much to swallow at once.