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Intel Foundry is a Business Reporter client

We depend on artificial intelligence (AI) and other complex computing tasks to help us in our daily lives. However, these applications place ever-increasing workload stress on the data centres and high-performance computing (HPC) systems supporting them. That means we need to keep building more—and bigger—data centres.

Plus, each one will need faster and more powerful semiconductors. Complex workloads such as AI require more than just computing chips (CPUs). Graphical processors (known as GPUs), plus networking and other specialised chips all factor into the equation. Therefore, if the supply of semiconductors in any of these categories runs short, we face a big problem. Resilient, unified supply chains are vital for modern businesses.

During COVID we witnessed the harm fragile supply networks create for manufacturers. Car production, for example, slowed dramatically when needed materials dwindled. As this scenario illustrates, weak supply chains can have far-reaching repercussions. Shortages of vital materials make it impossible for manufacturers and suppliers to keep up with customer demand. Should the impact of this problem snowball across multiple business sectors, it could slow the worldwide economy.

According to Gartner®, managing supply chain disruptions includes risk management (source of disruption), uncertainty management (uncertainty of disruption), agility management (capacity to cope with disruption) and responsiveness management (speed to cope with disruption).

In short, we believe businesses that adopt a secure, holistic, end-to-end approach for their supply chain are much less vulnerable to unexpected changes. Unified supply chains are resilient enough to withstand disruptions while maintaining the flexibility to adapt to an evolving marketplace.

Intel recognizes the importance of prioritizing security in its products, our customer’s products and our manufacturing processes. Securing the supply chain is also critical. Factors such as geopolitical tensions, trade disputes and pandemics can disrupt semiconductor supply lines. Intel has fabrication facilities in North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. By operating in multiple geographic regions, Intel fabs can maintain production even if a region faces unexpected challenges.

Intel works closely with a network of worldwide suppliers and stakeholders to build diverse, sustainable and responsible global pipelines. That robust supply network allows Intel to build the technologies that empower its customers to develop better products.

Chipping away at the challenge

Some estimates say we will need 60 times improvement in computing performance over the next decade to keep pace with ever-larger computing tasks. However, today’s chip manufacturing techniques cannot maintain that rapid pace without new approaches and innovations. Intel Foundry, the world’s first systems foundry for the AI era, is a vital piece of that plan.

One way to address these challenges is the introduction of “chiplet” technology. Chiplets are small-scale processors created for different tasks. By utilising chiplets, Intel can help customers design solutions to handle specialised workloads.

Intel Foundry also embraces advanced packaging technologies and leadership in creating industry standards. For example, the Universal Chiplet Interconnect Express (UCIe)—a standard Intel Foundry helped establish—allows Intel to mix and match chiplets that help customers tackle increasingly complex computing tasks.

Other breakthrough innovations include Intel Foundry’s Embedded Multi-die Interconnect Bridge (EMIB) technology that can integrate multiple chiplets into a single package through silicon bridges in the substrate. Foveros technology complements EMIB by stacking chiplets atop each other to improve processor density, speed, and energy efficiency. Another Intel Foundry advancement, Foveros Direct 3D, takes processor design a step further. It employs a hybrid bonding approach for chiplets that fuses copper bumps, less than ten microns each, rather than using traditional soldered connections.

Intel Foundry—a multi-faceted approach

Intel Foundry builds upon Intel’s decades of experience, advanced intellectual property (IP) and production methods. The approach will speed up innovation, deliver advanced technologies and package new systems. Intel Foundry 18A process technology embraces a sub-two nanometre (2nm) architecture for its chips making room for processor improvements that generate significant performance gains. To put that size in perspective, a single sheet of paper is around 100,000 nanometres thick!

Intel Foundry facilities around the world are accessible to ecosystem partners and customers who want to design and assemble their own chips. Intel Foundry offers them the foundational IP, tools and system technology optimisation to bring new semiconductors to life more rapidly. Plus, operation in four global regions make Intel Foundry more accessible with a more secure supply chain.

Intel Foundry is committed to green manufacturing processes, using 99% renewable energy in 2023. Intel also restored more water than it had used in manufacturing to nearby communities that year. By 2030, Intel’s manufacturing processes will eliminate its landfill waste generation.

Intel takes a standards-based and open approach to its products so partners and customers can quickly develop applications using the applications of their choice. Intel also contributes to multiple organisations that adopt best practices for security.

Looking ahead

While no one can predict the future, it’s clear we’ll need faster and more powerful computing systems in the years ahead. As a leader in US-based semiconductor manufacturing, Intel remains committed to innovating through Intel Foundry’s advanced manufacturing processes and strengthening the supply chain to best serve customers.

Bob Brennan, Intel Vice President of Foundry Services and General Manager of Customer Solutions Engineering, sees a bright future ahead. “There are only a handful of companies in the world that have the scope and scale to make a difference in the world. AI is going to change the way we work and live…We’re at the beginning of an inflection point and it’s very exciting to be at the forefront.”

To find out more about Intel Foundry’s contributions, please visit intel.com/content/www/us/en/foundry/overview.

Intel has, for decades, pioneered research and development of the most advanced technologies and has deployed those at scale, securely through its manufacturing facilities and global network of resilient supply chain. Intel Foundry remains committed to advance next generations of innovation and to strengthen supply chain that meet the evolving needs of our customers and industry.