Technology

Intel's Decline: How It Lost Its Chip Manufacturing Crown

Intel lost its chip manufacturing lead between 2016 and 2020, when its 10nm process ran about three years late and 7nm slipped again, while TSMC shipped 7nm in…

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FOUNDED

Noyce and Moore found Intel

Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore founded Intel; Andy Grove joined on day one. Moore's Law became its manufacturing roadmap.

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4004

The first microprocessor

Widely recognised as the first commercially available microprocessor, made on a 10-micron process.

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TSMC

A factory for everyone else

Morris Chang founded a pure-play foundry that makes chips for other companies and designs none of its own.

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PEAK

Tick-tock and high-k metal gates

Apple moved the Mac to Intel, and Intel shipped 45nm chips with high-k metal gates years before rivals.

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SLIP

Tick-tock ends; phones abandoned

14nm arrived late, tick-tock gave way to a longer cycle, and Intel quit smartphone chips.

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HANDOVER

TSMC takes the lead

TSMC made 7nm in volume in 2018. Intel's 10nm reached volume only in 2019, about three years late.

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EXODUS

7nm slips; Apple leaves

Intel said 7nm was a year behind. Apple shipped M1 Macs made by TSMC.

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IDM 2.0

Gelsinger's comeback plan

Keep Intel's fabs, use outside foundries, and sell manufacturing to others. US$20 billion for two Arizona fabs.

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CRISIS

Losses, layoffs, TSMC inside

A US$7.0 billion foundry loss for 2023, 15% job cuts, 20A cancelled, and Gelsinger out in December.

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RESCUE

New CEO, new shareholders

Lip-Bu Tan became CEO. The US government took 9.9%, NVIDIA invested US$5 billion, and Fab 52 began 18A.

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TEST

18A-P, Apple, Tesla

18A-P entered risk production in June. Tesla plans 14A; Apple reached a preliminary deal. External revenue is still small.

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MONEY

Still losing, still spending

Q2 foundry revenue US$5.8 billion, loss US$2.1 billion. Intel raised US$20 billion in new shares in August.

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