英特尔与松下签订14nm芯片供应合同

英特尔14nm Broadwell处理器最初计划2013年底发布，但因为各种原因一再跳票，如今即使在2014年内也只会有一小批产品面世，绝大部分都得等到2015年。 不过在另一方面，14nm工艺的代工生意倒是越发红火了。早在去年初，新工艺尚未投产的时候，英特尔就已经与半导体企业Altera达成合作，为其生产14nm Tri-Gate工艺芯片。其他客户包括Achronix、Microsemi、Netronome、Tablula。 近日，英特尔又拿下了一个更重量级的客户： 松下公司琵琶别抱，改签英特尔为芯片供应商，英特尔将向松下的系统LSI业务部门提供最新14nm制程芯片，这一下无疑再次踩了台积电的地盘。 博( )报导，随半导体研发成本上涨、晶圆外包代工风气盛行，其中尤以台湾的台积电表现最为亮眼。因此，英特尔首席执行官Brian Krzanich自2013年上任以来，便积极改弦易辙，大力争取来自其他行业、甚至是竞争对手的外包订单，以减缓个人电脑(PC)业务成长趋缓对芯片部门的业绩冲激。目前，代工制造业务对英特尔总营收的贡献甚微。 而此番成功取得松下的芯片供应合约，则可说是英特尔抢攻晶圆代工市场的一大胜利。松下将成为英特尔最大制造业客户，由英特尔负责设计及安置在松下影音产品内的特殊芯片。 相比其他代工商，英特尔使用其尖端制造工艺生产的芯片将为松下设备带去性能和功耗上的优势。 本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载 参考英文原文：Panasonic to Make 14nm SoCs at Intel，by Rick Merritt

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{pagination} Panasonic to Make 14nm SoCs at Intel Rick Merritt SAN FRANCISCO — Panasonic will make SoCs in a low-power flavor of Intel's 14nm process technology. The Japanese company is the sixth announced customer for a foundry business that Intel says is strategic and expanding its packaging capabilities. "We are doing extremely well getting customers who can use our technology," Sunit Rikhi, general manager of Intel's foundry group, said in a talk at Semicon West, though he would not provide details. "We are in this business to grow, and it's strategically an important vector in our Intel strategy." Other companies making or planning to make chips in Intel's fabs include Achronix, Altera, Microsemi, Netronome, and Tablula. Rikhi described Intel's foundry business in broad terms: "We need to demonstrate our service orientation and earn trust of customers." He suggested that the low-power variant of Intel's 14nm process is relatively new. Intel uses a general-purpose 22nm process but supports multiple flavors of its 32nm process. Yoshifumi Okamoto, director of Panasonic's SoC group, said in a press release, "We will deliver highly improved performance and power advantages with next-generation SoCs by leveraging Intel's 14nm Tri-Gate process technology through our collaboration." When asked about chip stacks, Rikhi said Intel is offering several options and plans to start work with outside packaging companies soon. "So far we have offered integrated packaging in-house, but we are beginning to talk to some customers about their buying wafers from us and having packaging done by OSATs. I would expect we will do that before too long." Intel expects to make 10nm chips without extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, he said, reiterating comments from Intel's Mark Bohr. However, Rikhi expressed enthusiasm for getting access to next-generation scanners and larger wafers as soon as possible. "EUV is like 450mm wafers. When it comes, it is great."