14 DAY TRIAL // Recently, the world has found out exactly how much time Intel's Broadwell central processing units have been delayed, and one of the reasons given for it is a presumed insufficiency in 14nm chip yields. Intel has debunked that claim.
To be fair, 14nm chip yields weren't fully blamed for Broadwell being pushed back from late 2013 to late 2014.
Not that the next generation of chips was going to become available last year, but sample shipments were originally going to come out then. Obviously, they didn't.
Anyway, Intel hasn't denied that the newest roadmap puts Broadwell in the third quarter of 2014, but it did say 14nm chip yields were not an issue.
“We have the capacity we need and the ability to scale as needed,” said Chuck Mulloy, a spokesman for Intel, in a response to the question of whether or not Intel has enough 14nm-capable manufacturing capacities to start volume production.
In fact, all the factories in Arizona are capable of manufacturing 22nm and 14nm chips, according to Mulloy.
Well, all the factories except fab 42 that Intel just announced it was closing. Chipzilla started to build it in 2011 (though plans for it began in 2009), but then the PC market started to die and capital had to be rerouted.
It might turn into a pretty raw deal for the 1,000 people that Intel already hired for that site. We don't know what will become of them yet, whether they'll be let go or if they will be transferred to the other facilities.
Might be the latter. Since Intel doesn't need extra 14nm manufacturing capacity, Fab 42 will be used to make 10nm or even thinner-node chops in the future. Intel will be getting new equipment for that.
“The Intel Arizona site is the lead site for high volume manufacturing of our newest 14nm manufacturing process. All existing fab capacity in Arizona [except fab 42] is capable of manufacturing on both 22nm and the newest 14nm processes,” said Mr. Mulloy.