Intel, Arm come together to manufacture next-gen mobile chips – Times of India

Intel Foundry Services, the foundry business of Intel and Arm, has signed a “multi-generation” agreement to optimise the 18A fabrication process of Intel with ARM chip designs. The two companies will work on the design for ARM-based mobile chips, further planning to expand the partnership to automotive, IoT, data centres, and other applications.
The agreement between Intel and ARM does not involve Intel’s Foundry Services unit manufacturing chipsets for ARM. Instead, it aims to simplify the process for ARM’s licensees, such as Qualcomm and MediaTek, to use Intel’s chip manufacturing services in the future.
Intel’s 18A process node is expected to be implemented by 2024 for mass production. Compared to the 20A process node, the new process promises a 10% increase in performance per watt, a line width reduction, and a design optimization innovation called Ribbon.
Initially, Intel and Arm plan to optimise the 18A process node for mobile SoCs. Further, Intel will offer support to ARM licensees, the likes of Qualcomm, MediaTek, and others, that is said to extend beyond wafer production to “packaging, software and chipsets,” aiming to become a one-stop shop for chipmakers.
Commenting on the partnership, Pat Gelsinger, CEO of Intel Corporation, said, “There is growing demand for computing power driven by the digitisation of everything, but until now fabless customers have had limited options for designing around the most advanced mobile technology.”
“Intel’s collaboration with Arm will expand the market opportunity for IFS and open up new options and approaches for any fabless company that wants to access best-in-class CPU IP and the power of an open system foundry with leading-edge process technology,” he added further.
“Arm’s secure, energy-efficient processors are at the heart of hundreds of billions of devices and the planet’s digital experiences. As the demands for compute and efficiency become increasingly complex, our industry must innovate on many new levels. Arm’s collaboration with Intel enables IFS as a critical foundry partner for our customers as we deliver the next generation of world-changing products built on Arm,” said Rene Haas, CEO of ARM.