Intel Details Manufacturing through 2023: 7nm, 7+, 7++, with Next Gen Packaging
by Ian Cutress & Anton Shilov on May 8, 2019 4:35 PM EST
At Intel's Investor Day today, CEO Bob Swan and Murthy Renduchintala spoke to the ability of the company with respect to its manufacturing capabilities. Intel has historically been strong in its ability to execute on its process technology, however the delay of its 10nm process has obviously raised multiple question marks, and has done for several years. The two Intel executives went into a little detail about what Intel was doing in the interim, and how it has learned from the issues.
Back in 2013, Intel envisoned its 10nm to succeed the 14nm by providing 2.7x density, with new technologies such as Self-Aligned Quad Patterning (SAQP), Contact over Active Gate (COAG), Cobolt Interconnects, and new packaging technologies such as EMIB and Foveros. Intel admits that this was an ambitious plan, and the goals were not clearly defined with the teams and it was ultimately overly complex and not managed in an ideal way.
This ended up pushing 10nm out into a later time frame. In this case, Intel pushed 10nm out to 2019 (technically they shipped Cannon Lake in small quantities on 10nm in 2017, however that is nothing more than a curio in the timeline of semiconductors), and filled the gap with 14+ and 14++.
Intels 14+ and 14++ processes extracted more than 20% more performance (from Broadwell to Whiskey Lake) from the process since its inception. As a result, Intel is prepared to not only get ready for future intra-node optimizations, but actually adjust the roadmap to compensate for it. Murthy made it clear that Intel wants to introduce a Moore's Law-like gain at the beginning of a new process, and another similar gain by the end of the process.
Intel has stated that its 10nm product family (beyond Cannon Lake) will start to be available from the middle of this year (2019), with Ice Lake on client platforms (notebooks).
Intel will be launching multiple 10nm products through 2019 and 2020, including server based 10nm in the first half of 2020:
In the above slide, Intel states that it will have 7nm in production and launching a product in 2021. That sounds very aggressive for a company that has had issues with 10nm. It even shows in Intels radmap, with 10nm (and 10+ and 10++) having a much shorter life cycle than the 14nm family of processes.
With this in mind, Intel's 7nm is going to be the combination of what Intel has learned from the 14nm and 10nm family of products. Intel wants that 2x scaling (Moores Law), but with intra-node optimations planned as part of the roadmap. Intel is also reducing its number of design rules, which should help with execution. 7nm will also be where Intel intersects with EUV, and also introduce next-gen Foveros and EMIB packainging.
Intel provided this slide, which shows a monolithic PC-Centric die with a multi-die Data-Centric chip built on both Foveros and EMIB. This corroborates our discussion with Intel's chiplet and packaging team, who also stated that we would see Foveros and EMIB on a combined product - specifically the GPU.
Intel announced that its lead 7nm product (lead = top, or lead = first?) would be its new GPGPU, built on the Xe graphics architecture. Intel has stated that its Xe product stack will feature two different microarchitectures from mobile client up to GPGPU, with one of those architectures called Arctic Sound - technically Intel will launch its first discrete GPU in 2020 according to its press release, however the 7nm GPGPU will be launched in 2021.
More information is coming out of Intel's Event, more to follow.
Related Reading
- Intel: EUV-Enabled 7nm Process Tech is on Track
- Intel Starts Qualification of Ice Lake CPUs, Raises 10nm Volume Expectation for 2019
- Intel Agilex: 10nm FPGAs with PCIe 5.0, DDR5, and CXL
- Intel to Equip Fab 42 for 7 nm
- Intel Discloses Plans to Spend $5 Billion on Fab 28 Expansion in Israel
- Intel Submits Ireland Fab Expansion Plan: $8 Billion Price Tag, With a 4 Year Lead Time
- Intel Details Plans for Its Oregon Fab Expansion: D1X Phase 3
- Intel to Expand Production Capacities at Multiple Fabs
Source: Intel
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Arbie - Thursday, May 9, 2019 - link
Calm down and be polite. HStewart is just stating what he sees in the designs. Calling everyone who does that a "fanboy" degrades discussion, and BTW doesn't reflect well on your own intelligence.sa666666 - Thursday, May 9, 2019 - link
You're obviously not familiar with HStewart and his pathetic ramblings on all things Intel. If not, well just realize that he is the local shill/troll that stirs up this crap whenever Intel is mentioned. In his world, Intel is the best thing since sliced bread, and can do no wrong. End of line.If you _are_ familiar with his trolling and still support him, then I will add that you're just as bad. Many people on this site are sick of his constant drivel, and the one thing that this site _really_ needs is a blocklist feature. Logging in and checking on new articles would be much more enjoyable if I knew I didn't have to see his constant incoherent, illogical ramblings.
HStewart - Thursday, May 9, 2019 - link
Please don't get personal - on this site and I would hate this site to be like WCCFTechHStewart - Thursday, May 9, 2019 - link
I think you are one trolling on this site, do you have any interesting in purchasing Intel CPU in the future. Unless AMD discussion brings up anti-Intel stuff, I at least stay out of it. Grow up.Korguz - Thursday, May 9, 2019 - link
" I at least stay out of it " there is a BS line right there.... HStewart.. you bash amd ANY chance you get, while praising intel any chance you get...HStewart - Thursday, May 9, 2019 - link
Also I have Samsung Phone and Samsung Tablet - just to say I am all Intel is foolish. To you if you are not AMD than you are all Intel. I do have AMD GPU in my Dell XPS 15 2in1. End of line.I would love blocklist discussions like this also - maybe Intel only section and AMD only section would but that would remove some pathetic hope of some people - expecting to bad mouth intel products to push AMD down people is just immature.
Korguz - Thursday, May 9, 2019 - link
" expecting to bad mouth intel products to push AMD down people is just immature." again.. you are one to talk HStewartIrata - Friday, May 10, 2019 - link
Please do tell me how you'd buy an Intel based mobile phone.I know there are tablets with an Atom core (running Android and Windows), but saying "hey, my mobile phone (or lawn mower for that matter) does not use an Intel CPU, so this means I am not a fan" is pretty ridiculous.
Targon - Friday, May 10, 2019 - link
You must have missed that Intel makes a lot of promises that don't come true. If and when Intel gets products out the door and into the hands of consumers, that's when we can properly compare the products and see if they live up to the promises.It isn't bashing the Intel products that is going on, it is bashing those who believe Intel whenever a roadmap gets put out there, because 10nm was on track in 2015 for a 2016 release! Think about it, 10nm is four years late, and every year, Intel has claimed that 10nm is on track.
With that said, no one disputes that the 9900k is the top performing chip out there at the moment, but 10nm Intel has been reported as not performing as well as 14nm Intel in terms of clock speeds. As such, even if 10nm desktop chips were to come out this year, there is a good chance that they might not be competitive with the 9900k.
HStewart - Thursday, May 9, 2019 - link
Here is a promise, if people like you stop bashing intel with pro AMD / anti-Intel comments in Intel, I will not promote Intel in AMD related articles - only condition if some one bashes Intel in that article.Please discuss things logically about relative product.