Mark LaPedus, Semiconductor Engineering
December 12th, 2013
For some customers, Intel may be an interesting partner. For others, foundries still have some distinct advantages.
The leading-edge foundry business isn’t for the faint of heart. It requires deep pockets and sound technology to keep pace in the chip-scaling race. And despite pouring billions of dollars into new fabs and processes, foundries are competing for fewer customers at each node.
Given the difficult business conditions, only a handful of vendors can afford to compete in the high-end foundry business. Going forward, though, the business is expected to get even more competitive—and intriguing—as Intel expands its efforts in the foundry arena.