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Wouldn't GlobalFoundries (HQ in New York and supposedly on the "Trusted Foundry" list) have made more sense, since they fabricate chips for multiple different c

Wouldn't GlobalFoundries (HQ in New York and supposedly on the "Trusted Foundry" list) have made more sense, since they fabricate chips for multiple different companies, where as Intel only makes them for Intel? Boosts a competitor, opens up fab capacity for all and moves the needle on the intentions behind the CHIPS act, all at once.

pavon 3y ago
GlobalFoudaries is receiving $1.5B from the CHIPS act. While it might have made sense to try to help them catch up to the competition a decade ago, today we just want to have any domestic capability comparable to TSMC in case China decides to invade Taiwan. Intel and TSMC will be able to get there much more quickly than GlobalFoundaries can. Furthermore, Intel is opening up their Fab to outside customers.
solumunus 3y ago
I’ve not been keeping up with the news but certainly within the last few months it’s been said they’re also getting money.
dotnet00 3y ago
Intel has also been opening up their fabs to other customers in the past few months.
- Symmetry 3y ago
  NVidia is actually doing a trial run of a non-critical product at Intel right now, and I'm guessing could possibly do more if it works out well.
netrap 3y ago
I think Intel wants to make chips for others as well...
Aromasin 3y ago
GlobalFoundries are nowhere near the leading edge on node process, and Intel have opened up their foundries to customers since Pat's return with the advent of IFS: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/foundry/overview.html https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/foundry/overview.htm...
- zachbee 3y ago
  100% right. GF is no longer gunning for leading-edge nodes. They've made their niche in mature nodes for low-power chips and emerging memories (FeFETS, MRAM, RRAM, etc). If you want to get leading edge nodes on American soil, Intel is the best bet.
- BeetleB 3y ago
  Correction: Intel has had a Foundry business since 2010 or 2011. Then CEO Paul Otellini pushed hard for it, but had a lot of opposition internally. It then languished after he left until Pat took over. It never died. It was always there. Pat's just fulfilling the vision Paul had.
  - Aromasin 3y ago
    You're right on that one, I perhaps should have more accurately said: "Revive". I will say though that the scope of Paul's vision for an Intel foundry didn't shine a light against IFS. There wasn't the same push for increased capacity. More so excess capacity would be given to select customers, and they might maybe increase capacity for big customers like Apple (who were with Samsung at the time rather than TSMC). Some context from 2013 when they tried their hand at it: https://www.extremetech.com/computing/150217-intel-pumps-up-its-foundry-business-might-snatch-apples-soc-business-away-from-samsung https://www.extremetech.com/computing/150217-intel-pumps-up-... It's funny as a side note that their big foundry announcement at the time was making chips for Altera before the merger, and now Altera is parting ways with Intel after 8 years. Time flies.
s1artibartfast 3y ago
Global Founders doesn't have the capital to uphold their side of the deal this size. Intel is investing 75 billion. GLOBALFOUNDRIES entire market cap is 25 billion.

pavon 3y ago

GlobalFoudaries is receiving $1.5B from the CHIPS act. While it might have made sense to try to help them catch up to the competition a decade ago, today we just want to have any domestic capability comparable to TSMC in case China decides to invade Taiwan. Intel and TSMC will be able to get there much more quickly than GlobalFoundaries can. Furthermore, Intel is opening up their Fab to outside customers.

solumunus 3y ago

I’ve not been keeping up with the news but certainly within the last few months it’s been said they’re also getting money.

dotnet00 3y ago

Intel has also been opening up their fabs to other customers in the past few months.

Symmetry 3y ago
NVidia is actually doing a trial run of a non-critical product at Intel right now, and I'm guessing could possibly do more if it works out well.

netrap 3y ago

I think Intel wants to make chips for others as well...

Aromasin 3y ago

GlobalFoundries are nowhere near the leading edge on node process, and Intel have opened up their foundries to customers since Pat's return with the advent of IFS: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/foundry/overview.html https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/foundry/overview.htm...

zachbee 3y ago
100% right. GF is no longer gunning for leading-edge nodes. They've made their niche in mature nodes for low-power chips and emerging memories (FeFETS, MRAM, RRAM, etc). If you want to get leading edge nodes on American soil, Intel is the best bet.
BeetleB 3y ago
Correction: Intel has had a Foundry business since 2010 or 2011. Then CEO Paul Otellini pushed hard for it, but had a lot of opposition internally. It then languished after he left until Pat took over. It never died. It was always there. Pat's just fulfilling the vision Paul had.
- Aromasin 3y ago
  You're right on that one, I perhaps should have more accurately said: "Revive". I will say though that the scope of Paul's vision for an Intel foundry didn't shine a light against IFS. There wasn't the same push for increased capacity. More so excess capacity would be given to select customers, and they might maybe increase capacity for big customers like Apple (who were with Samsung at the time rather than TSMC). Some context from 2013 when they tried their hand at it: https://www.extremetech.com/computing/150217-intel-pumps-up-its-foundry-business-might-snatch-apples-soc-business-away-from-samsung https://www.extremetech.com/computing/150217-intel-pumps-up-... It's funny as a side note that their big foundry announcement at the time was making chips for Altera before the merger, and now Altera is parting ways with Intel after 8 years. Time flies.

s1artibartfast 3y ago

Global Founders doesn't have the capital to uphold their side of the deal this size. Intel is investing 75 billion. GLOBALFOUNDRIES entire market cap is 25 billion.