Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan said he has spoken with AMD CEO Lisa Su about possible areas of collaboration between the two companies. He made the remarks during a fireside chat on October 24 hosted by the Chinese American Semiconductor Professional Association (CASPA), where he also reaffirmed his goal of regaining CPU leadership. Two longtime rivals sitting down to discuss cooperation is no small matter, especially for a company trying to rebuild its position.
On manufacturing, Tan outlined the status of Intel's processes. The 18A node is already in volume production. For 14A, the process Intel considers its next major step, Tan said a 0.5 PDK, an early beta with estimated models and unoptimized design rules, already exists, and a 0.9 PDK will follow soon. The 0.9 version marks the point where the process is ready for tape-out and risk production. A 1.0 PDK, needed for volume production, is expected early next year.
Tan also recounted the story of a customer who waited six to eight months hoping he would become CEO, then listed fifteen areas where Intel was falling short. According to Tan, the previous leadership often did not listen to customers and sometimes lectured them, while he addressed the issues one by one. The customer, he said, decided to go deeper with the company.
Meanwhile, Intel is pushing hard into custom chips, particularly for its Xeon line. The plan also depends on growing the foundry business, which is looking for new customers for its 18A-P and 14A nodes. KeyBanc, in its channel checks, says Intel has won orders from Broadcom for networking switches and from Google for server CPUs, along with server CPU work for Microsoft and gaming GPUs for NVIDIA. Anthropic, Amazon and SpaceX/Tesla Terafab are reportedly evaluating 18A-P and 14A, with a likely preference for the latter.
KeyBanc also believes Apple has signed a multi-generation contract with Intel for its M-series and A-series chips on 14A. The company has not confirmed this, and it remains a rumor. On EMIB-T substrates, KeyBanc estimates yields averaging 50-60% at Ibiden and 20-30% at UMTC.
The AMD talks are the most surprising part, but whether they become something concrete will depend on what comes next. The next milestone to watch is the delivery of the 14A 0.9 PDK.
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