PremiumNEW DELHI:The first major customer for American chipmaker Intel’s newly announced foundry business will be Qualcomm, the company said on Monday. The two companies are noted competitors, with Qualcomm making mobile chips that run on smartphones and even some PCs now. With the new deal, Intel will use its 20A process technology, announced yesterday, to manufacture Qualcomm’s chips.
The companies didn’t announce any timeframe for when Intel-made Qualcomm chips will hit the market. However, Intel has said that the 20A technology is expected to “ramp up" in 2024. “The company is also excited about the opportunity to partner with Qualcomm using its Intel 20A process technology," Intel said.
The Intel 20A uses two new technologies, called RibbonFET and PowerVia, to enhance processor speed and reduce their overall footprint. RibbonFET is a new architecture, taking over from FinFET, which has been the norm since 2011.
"Building on Intel's unquestioned leadership in advanced packaging, we are accelerating our innovation roadmap to ensure we are on a clear path to process performance leadership by 2025," Pat Gelsinger, Intel’s CEO, said during a webcast yesterday. “The innovations unveiled today will not only enable Intel's product roadmap; they will also be critical for our foundry customers," he added.
While Qualcomm will be the first customer to use Intel’s process technologies, Amazon Web Services (AWS) will be the first to use packaging services from the Foundry business.
The American chip giant’s Foundry business has been seen as a key element of CEO Gelsinger’s strategy for Intel’s future. The company has been losing steam in the PC chip market, as companies like Apple turn to mobile chips for their devices, while competitors like AMD have been able to push forward in terms of technology and efficiency.
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