Intel Hails 'Landmark' as High-Volume EUV Production Begins at Irish Plant (reuters.com) 16
Chipmaker Intel said on Friday it had begun high-volume production using extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines at its $18.5 billion plant in Ireland, calling it a "landmark" moment as it seeks to regain ground on its rivals. From a report: The EUV tools, which are theoretically precise enough to hit a person's thumb with a laser pointer from the moon, will play a key role in meeting Intel's goal of delivering five generations of technology in four years, the U.S. company said. The effort in Ireland is Intel's first attempt at high-volume manufacturing using EUV technology. Once the world's leading chip manufacturer, Intel has lost the lead but says it is on track to regain it with manufacturing technology it says will rival the best from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.
"This is a landmark for Intel and the semiconductor industry as a whole," Ann Kelleher, Intel's general manager of technology development, said in a statement. "The transfer of Intel 4 process technology into high-volume production in Ireland is a giant step toward enabling leading-edge manufacturing in Europe." The plant, located in the town of Leixlip outside Dublin, is the first high-volume location for its manufacturing process called Intel 4 that uses EUV. The advanced manufacturing technique will produce its forthcoming "Meteor Lake" chip for laptops, which will pave the way for AI PCs.
"This is a landmark for Intel and the semiconductor industry as a whole," Ann Kelleher, Intel's general manager of technology development, said in a statement. "The transfer of Intel 4 process technology into high-volume production in Ireland is a giant step toward enabling leading-edge manufacturing in Europe." The plant, located in the town of Leixlip outside Dublin, is the first high-volume location for its manufacturing process called Intel 4 that uses EUV. The advanced manufacturing technique will produce its forthcoming "Meteor Lake" chip for laptops, which will pave the way for AI PCs.
yields? (Score:1)
Intel historically led through superior process technology. They need a technical jump desperately if they hope to regain their lead. But their attempts to improve their process have recently been hampered by poor yields...
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They will not regain their lead. They messed up too badly for it to just be a temporary set-back.
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Great to see Intel progressing, but... (Score:2)
Why Ireland?
How about moving back to the US?
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Why Ireland?
Probably tax avoidance reasons.
How about moving back to the US?
See above.
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The EU is looking to expand their own chip making capacity, so I'd bet they offered Intel some incentives as well.
Good catch. I thought of that after hitting Submit.
Came across this from 2022: Ireland is the Number 1 Destination for US Tech Firms [nathantrust.com]
Re: Great to see Intel progressing, but... (Score:3)
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> Why Ireland?
Intel's been in Leixlip since 1989. They've been in business since '68.
You're asking why they're in a country they've been in for most of the company's existence? I can appreciate why someone would want a multinational to want to invest more in its country of origin, but it's not so simple to leave when you've been in a place since before the fall of the Berlin wall.
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> How about moving back to the US?
It takes time to build a plant. They started in 2022. It's expected to complete in 2025.
https://www.intel.com/content/... [intel.com]
No good trained workforce in USA (Score:3)
>> How about moving back to the US?
No good trained workforce in USA for fabs.
Um ... (Score:4, Funny)
The EUV tools, which are theoretically precise enough to hit a person's thumb with a laser pointer from the moon, ...
The pointer itself or the light from it? 'Cause the former would be even more impressive. :-)
Re: Um ... (Score:1)
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According to the Crossbow project, "there's no defense like a good offense." I hear it's just like shooting ducks in a barrel.
So they claim they stopped screwing up? (Score:1)
Because that is the only potential "landmark" I see here.