The production process that Intel hoped will pave the way for manufacturing deals and restore its edge in the high -end transfer, high margin chips are facing a major obstacle to quality as it has put new technologies to the test, two persons on this issue.
For months, Intel has promised investors that it will increase manufacturing by using this process called 18a. It spent billions of dollars in the development of 18A, including the construction or upgrade of several factories with the aim of challenging Taiwan’s chip -making heavyweight, TSMC. Intel wants to increase its business designing chips that make it a massive home and help TSMC produce it, with contract manufacturing business that can compete with this key supplier. But even if Intel resurns the preparation of an advanced chip in the United States and its contract foundry on a solid basis, it depends on closing the technology gap with the TSMC.
Initial tests frustrated consumers last year, but Intel has said it is on the way to making its “Panther Lake” laptop semiconductor in the high volume starting in 18A 2025, which includes a more effective method of power supply to the next generation transactions and chip. According to Reuters, the chipmaker has expressed hope that developing such a modern home -home chip will increase external interest in its foundry, at a time when the new CEO lip bone tan has explored a major change for the accuracy of the course that the business was reorganizing.
Nevertheless, only a small percentage of Panther Lake chips printed by 18A has been good enough to be available to consumers, two men who were briefed on the company’s test data from the end of last year. Sources spoke on condition of anonymity because Intel did not give them the option to disclose such information.
This percentage data, known as production, means that Intel can struggle to make its high -end laptop chip profitable in the near future.
The foundry improves its preparation process as the production can be inch or down. Companies also calculate production in different ways, which can make this important data a dynamic round post, with two additional sources and two additional sources with information about Intel’s manufacturing operation.
Intel’s Chief Financial Officer David Zenezer told Reuters in an interview July 24.
For the Panther Lake, “It’s an early ramp,” he said. In a statement on July 30, Intel added: “Our performance and production pace gives us confidence that it will be a successful launch that reinforces Intel’s position in the notebook market.”
In the past, Intel has achieved the goal of production in the north of 50 % before increasing production, as before there is a risk of damaging any profit margin.
All three said that Intel usually does not make a lion’s share of its profit unless the production reaches about 70 70 % to 80 %, which is the key to a small chip like Panther Lake, where many defects will sell it hard. Intel said the profit also flows from expanding the market and increasing factory production.
Both men with information about Intel’s manufacturing operation said that production will increase greatly through the start of the fourth quarter of Panther Lake. But without such jumps, Intel may have to sell some chips on a low profit margin or at any loss, both sources said about test data.
In his comment on July 30, Intel said, “The Panther Lake is” completely on track “. Intel did not specify the doorstep of production, on which his chips make profitable.
The company has warned that it can completely get out of manufacturing if it does not do external business for 14A, which is the successor of the next generation of 18A.
‘Heel Mary’
Intel’s 18A process included major manufacturing changes and at the same time new technologies were introduced, such as the next generation transistor design and a feature that will improve energy supply to a chip. Three sources said it pose risks to manufacturing due to the complexity of fabric chips.
Intel faced this challenge to stop the performance gap with TSMC, but its aggressive timeline for the rollout of unmanaged systems set it for failure. One described the attempt at the “Hale Mary” football pass.
In April, Intel said it started an important step toward printing on the way to 18A by hiding the chips of Panther Lake, called “Risk Production”. The company also showed several laptops that said that the Panther Lake chips were used in Taiwan Computer Expo in May.
But the problems remain.
One way to develop the chip manufacturers gauge is to measure the number of defects in each area of a chip, which may vary based on the design of the semiconductor. Related to the standards of the industry, Panther Lake chips had almost three times too much defects to start production of high volume to Intel.
These sources said that by the end of last year, only 5 % of the Panther Lake chips that were printed in Intel were dependent on its features. This summer, the production figures have increased by 10 %, a source said, which warned that if Intel did not affect every performance target, one of them could claim the highest number. Reuters could not set the exact production at this time.
In an interview with Reuters, Zinzer controversially disputed the figures and said “production is better than that.” He did not give any number at the end of July or 2024, and Intel refused to provide the data.
He said, “We are expected every month that they will improve and improve, as we are at a production level that is good for the production level Panther Lake at the end of the year,” he added: “I will not say that the margins are also viable at these production levels, so we still have to improve.”
Zenezer said Tan has tapped more supply chain contacts for Intel than usual and gave them data to help improve chip production.
For now, Intel partially relies on TSMC to build chips designed in your home. An Intel executive said in June that Nova Lake, a chip that is planned after the Panther Lake, will also be partially made on TSMC.
© Thomson Writers 2025
