Intel's Engineering Leader Condemns Rumors of TSMC Control Over Chip Manufacturing
In a now-deleted LinkedIn post, Joseph Bonetti, Principal Engineering Program Manager at Intel Corporation, vehemently opposed the idea of Intel ceding control of its chip manufacturing facilities to TSMC. Bonetti's post, which can still be found on archive.today via Tom's Hardware, passionately urged Intel management and the Trump administration to reject any capitulation to TSMC.
Bonetti's Arguments Against TSMC Takeover
Bonetti argued against the rumors, stating that Intel is already making significant technical advancements in its chip manufacturing technology. He highlighted that Intel's '3nm' node (Intel 3) is in production and being used in the latest Xeon 6 chips, while its '2nm' node (Intel 18A) is nearing completion and expected to be used in Panther Lake chips later this year.
He further questioned TSMC's alleged contributions, stating that Intel's '2nm' node is expected to enter production sooner than TSMC's and emphasized the importance of Intel's advanced 18A node.
Challenges in Comparing Nodes
Bonetti acknowledged the difficulty in comparing manufacturing nodes across foundries. He noted that while Intel classifies 18A as '2nm,' some commentators consider it more akin to TSMC's '3nm' based on certain density measures.
Questions Regarding 18A Health
Bonetti expressed confidence in the 18A node, describing it as "more advanced" and citing reports suggesting its superiority over TSMC's N2. However, he also indicated that the true test will come when Intel releases its Panther Lake laptop CPU on 18A later this year. If the product is delayed or underperforms, it could raise concerns about the health of Intel's manufacturing technology.