Intel: 10nm is less productive chip node than 14nm and 22nm
Intel reports that its current 10nm chip node will not be as productive as 14nm and 22nm. With its 7nm chip production, which should start at the end of 2021, Intel hopes to reconnect with its competitors TSMC and Samsung.
Intel’s chief financial officer George Davis acknowledges that 10nm “will not be the best node Intel has ever had.” “It’s going to be less productive than 14nm and then 22nm, but we’re excited about the improvements we’re seeing and we expect to start the 7nm period with a much better outlook in terms of performance, towards the end of 2021.”
Davis gave an explanation of the current state of Intel’s chip production during a Morgan Stanley conference, Tom’s Hardware writes. According to Davis, Intel is in the 10nm era and production is improving. “We’re starting to see the acceleration on the process side, so we can get up to speed in the 7nm generation and take leadership back in the 5nm generation,” he said. Intel has not yet announced when it plans to start its 5nm production.
It is not clear what he meant by taking back leadership. TSMC is scaling up its 5nm production and it is expected that the mass production of 3nm at that Taiwanese company will be a fact by the end of 2022. Intel’s 10nm can be compared to TSMC’s current 7nm production in terms of features at the nanoscale, but it is unknown how that comparison will play out for upcoming nodes. Davis may have been talking about an economic comparison and Intel expects to be able to produce chips just as profitably as competitors with 5nm, perhaps also because the major chip manufacturers then all use euv machines. Samsung and TSMC have already started with that, Intel is doing that at 7nm.
Intel had great difficulty starting its 10nm mass production profitably. The company said it had set itself aggressive targets for the reduction of chip features in the switch from 14nm to 10nm. The 10nm Ice Lake processors are now out and the 10nm+ Tiger Lake generation is in development, but the company will also release 14nm Comet Lake processors this year and the next Rocket Lake generation for desktops is expected to be released in the future. 2021 will also be made on a 14nm process.