Intel CEO may visit TSMC in August to discuss new CPU cooperation using 3nm process, sources say

On July 8, DIGITIMES reported that Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger may visit TSMC in August to discuss collaboration on the 3nm process, sources said. This is because Intel's upcoming "Meteor Lake" CPUs have been rescheduled to begin shipping in late 2023.

Intel is sticking to its original blueprint for its 14th generation Core Meteor Lake CPUs, which will use Intel 4 compute units (tile), TSMC 3nm GPU units and TSMC N5 / N4 SoC-LP units, according to the report.

As Intel realigns its manufacturing roadmap and capacity planning for the coming year, Meteor Lake CPUs may not begin shipping until late 2023, the sources noted. Previously, its scheduled release was set for the first half of this year.

TSMC was supposed to start 3nm chip production for the graphics unit within Meteor Lake by the end of this year, but Intel's rescheduled CPU release could disrupt TSMC's 3nm process output plans, the sources said.

Sources believe that Intel will be one of TSMC's initial customers for 3nm process technology, along with Apple. Among other things, Intel's 3nm chip orders are also important because TSMC has decided to convert its new Gigafab 12's P8 and P9 facilities to 3nm process manufacturing specifically for Intel.

There are also rumors that Intel is still considering the feasibility of moving to TSMC's 5nm or 3nm process platform for manufacturing Meteor Lake computing units to be able to launch CPUs on time.

Intel recently reiterated that Intel 4, formally known as Intel's 7nm process, is on track for volume production in the second half of 2022. As Intel's first process with EUV, Intel 4 will be used for products including Meteor Lake, which will be released in 2023, the chip supplier said.