Tag Archives: Yoshifumi Okamoto

Intel to produce Panasonic SoCs (system-on-chips) using 14nm low-power process

A July 8, 2014 news item on Azonano describes a manufacturing agreement between Intel and Panasonic,

Intel Corporation today announced that it has entered into a manufacturing agreement with Panasonic Corporation’s System LSI Business Division. Intel’s custom foundry business will manufacture future Panasonic system-on-chips (SoCs) using Intel’s 14nm low-power manufacturing process.

Panasonic’s next-generation SoCs will target audio visual-based equipment markets, and will enable higher levels of performance, power and viewing experience for consumers.

A July 7, 2014 Intel press release, which originated the news item, reveals more details,

“Intel’s 14nm Tri-Gate process technology is very important to develop the next- generation SoCs,” said Yoshifumi Okamoto, director, Panasonic Corporation SLSI Business Division. “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.”

Intel’s leading-edge 14nm low-power process technology, which includes the second generation of Tri-Gate transistors, is optimized for low-power applications. This will enable Panasonic’s SoCs to achieve high levels of performance and functionality at lower power levels than was possible with planar transistors.

“We look forward to collaborating with the Panasonic SLSI Business Division,” said Sunit Rikhi, vice president and general manager, Intel Custom Foundry. “We will work hard to deliver the value of power-efficient performance of our 14nm LP process to Panasonic’s next-generation SoCs. This agreement with Panasonic is an important step in the buildup of Intel’s foundry business.”

Five other semiconductor companies have announced agreements with Intel’s custom foundry business, including Altera, Achronix Semiconductor, Tabula, Netronome and Microsemi.

Rick Merritt in a July 7, 2014 article for EE Times provides some insight,

“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. …

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.

Intel expects to make 10nm chips without extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, he said, reiterating comments from Intel’s Mark Bohr. …

This news provides an update of sorts to my October 21, 2010 posting,

Paul Otellini, Chief Executive Officer of Intel, just announced that the company will invest $6B to $8B for new and upgraded manufacturing facilities to produce 22 nanometre (nm) computer chips.

Now, almost our years later they’re talking about 10 nm chips. I wonder what 2018 will bring?