Intel hails ‘landmark’ as high-volume EUV production begins at Irish plant By Reuters

© Reuters. A smartphone with a displayed Intel brand is positioned on a pc motherboard on this illustration taken March 6, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

By Padraic Halpin and Max A. Cherney

LEIXLIP, Eire (Reuters) -Chipmaker Intel (NASDAQ:) stated on Friday it had begun high-volume manufacturing utilizing excessive ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines at its $18.5 billion plant in Eire, calling it a “landmark” second because it seeks to regain floor on its rivals.

As soon as the world’s main chip producer, Intel has misplaced the result in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, however says it’s on monitor to regain it with manufacturing know-how it says will rival one of the best from the Taiwanese group.

The EUV instruments, that are theoretically exact sufficient to hit an individual’s thumb with a laser pointer from the moon, will play a key position in assembly Intel’s objective of delivering 5 generations of know-how in 4 years, the U.S. firm stated.

Intel’s basic supervisor of know-how growth Ann Kelleher informed Reuters it was on monitor to fulfill this goal, with two manufacturing processes now full, a 3rd “coming quickly”, and the ultimate two making superb progress.

The plant, within the city of Leixlip exterior Dublin, is the primary high-volume location for the group’s Intel 4 manufacturing course of, which makes use of EUV. The method will produce its forthcoming “Meteor Lake” chip for laptops, which is able to pave the way in which for AI PCs.

The EUV machines, made by Dutch producer ASML, are as massive as a bus and value round $150 million every.

There are at present seven within the plant, the place a relentless stream of overhead robots, every costing the identical as a mean BMW (ETR:) automobile, whiz alongside 22km of monitor delivering silicon wafers from instrument to instrument.

Kelleher stated Intel expects to obtain its first next-generation excessive ultraviolet lithography machine, the Excessive-NA EUV, in Oregon later this yr. The corporate says it will likely be the primary chipmaker to get the machine, which can also be made by ASML.

Intel usually finalises new manufacturing processes at a analysis and growth web site within the Portland suburb of Hillsboro, Oregon, earlier than exporting the manufacturing template to different websites.

Past its amenities in Eire, Intel plans to construct an enormous chip advanced in Germany and a semiconductor meeting and check facility in Poland.

The brand new websites will profit from eased funding guidelines and subsidies within the EU because the bloc appears to be like to chop its dependence on U.S. and Asian provide.

On the opening of the Irish plant, Intel chief Pat Gelsinger described it because the “greatest day for Europe”.