Nvidia and Broadcom Testing Chips on Intel Manufacturing Process

Nvidia and Broadcom are conducting manufacturing tests using Intel's advanced 18A chip production process, according to Reuters, signaling potential confidence in the struggling chipmaker's contract manufacturing ambitions. The previously unreported tests could lead to significant manufacturing contracts for Intel, whose foundry business has suffered delays and lacks major chip designer customers.

AMD is also evaluating Intel's 18A technology, which competes with Taiwan's dominant TSMC, according to the report. The current tests focus on determining capabilities of Intel's process rather than running complete chip designs. Intel faces additional setbacks, with qualification of critical intellectual property for 18A taking longer than expected, potentially delaying some customer chip production until mid-2026.

qualification of critical intellectual property?

[MpVpRb]

What is that? Paperwork? Bureaucracy? Fights with lawyers?
Everything except actually figuring out how to make chips?

Re:

[Fly Swatter]

Welcome to the new world, you can't do anything without the Ok of the other fiefdoms.

Re: qualification of critical intellectual propert

[Fons_de_spons]

Old guy here that used to work for a semiconductor IP provider. You can license IP from multiple vendors in the chip industry. Think of an ARM cpu core as a good IP example. You download the design, copy paste it in your Floorplan and voila you chip just became more intelligent. Before the IP can be used on a new process, the IP needs to be qualified again as simulations of the product ommit a lot of the physics of semiconductors and thus give no guarantees. You therefore do different qualification runs on the ip. You need to verify that every spec is met under all forms of process, temperature and voltage variations. Aging tests, the list can be very long. It is a lot of (boring) work. IP can be a lot. From digital gates to memory arrays, PLLs, various IOs,...
Did some IP for Nvidia once. It may be on the list for requalification. Doubt it though. Finfets still were research then. Cheers!

Friendly reminder:

[PubJeezy]

Friendly reminder:

Broadcom is a recidivist fraudster. They have paid over $500 million in penalties for 14 violations. Broadcom appears to be an ongoing criminal conspiracy. It is absolutely reckless to allow a convicted fraudster into any supply that has national security implications.

Source: https://violationtracker.goodj... [goodjobsfirst.org]

Re:Friendly reminder:

[Targon]

You may not understand the full impact of what is being discussed. You have the, "how well are the Intel fabs working?" question, and if they are working well, then companies like Broadcom can use Intel to make chips. This has NOTHING to do with buying Intel or buying the foundry business. With the tariff situation, if Intel can make the chips with a decent yield for a good price, then some companies can move chip production to Intel from TSMC.

If Intel Foundry is actually able to make chips at 1.8nm, then that also means that Intel doesn't need to go to TSMC to make chips the way it currently does, so that's a good thing as well. Then, Intel can still sell off the foundry business, but that foundry business won't seem like a horrible purchase decision compared to how it is right now.

Re:

[davepk]

This is simply pre-purchase Due-Diligence on the part of Broadcom before an acquisition, in whole or in part, of Intel.

Re:

[drinkypoo]

The best reason to have Intel make chips is if it's a way to dodge tariffs.

So far they can't get a good yield with 18A. We'll have to wait to see if they ever can. I don't rule it out, but you certainly cannot take it for granted.

Re: Friendly reminder:

[drinkypoo]

You know Intel has been found guilty of anticompetitive action multiple times right? There are no heroes in this story.

Re:

[PubJeezy]

I'm the guy posting "violation tracker" links. Yes, I know. You're trying to create a false dichotomy. Corporations are not in competition with each other. Every sector is managed by a cartel of powerful managers that get shuffled from one company to another, unifying their strategies.

Trashing Broadcom doesn't mean I support Intel. They're both scammers. Trashing Apple doesn't mean I support Microsoft. They're both monopolists. Trashing BlueSky doesn't mean I support Twitter. They're both spam filled hells

Re:

[evanh]

Sounds like MD's merger with Boeing.

Or maybe ...

[Big Bipper]

Or maybe somebody is just kicking the tires thinking about a facilities purchase.

Re:

[serviscope_minor]

Could be?

Also it's become abundantly clear that America is an unreliable ally, which means relying on Taiwanese manufacturing is risky. Looking at second sourcing where way might knock out the majority of the current world's capacity isn't a bad idea.

If AMD really let Intel build their CPUs...

[ffkom]

... those would probably start experiencing strange bugs after a few months of use. Like from some copper corrosion or alike. Just subtle enough to not be easily proven sabotage.