The US government may be forcing Intel and TSMC to establish a common chip production facility. According to the Wall Street Journal, the US government wants TSMC’s experience of EUV’s Lithography technology and high -volume production to Intel’s processing technologies.

A joint venture managed by TSMC can be established

Allegedly, TSMC will send engineers to Intel’s 3nm/2nm chip factory and will make the factory and Intel’s subsequent production projects be applicable by using their own knowledge. The factory can be transformed into a new joint venture, which is jointly owned by TSMC and Intel, managed by TSMC. The new initiative will receive the fund needed from the US Chip Law.

Although Tristan Gerra, an investment bank Baird’s analyst, states that rumors have not yet been verified and that the project may take a long time, it seems logical to the analysts. If the partnership takes place, it can alleviate Intel’s financial pressures and shift the focal point to chip architecture and platform solutions. In addition, Intel will have the opportunity to maintain its production capacity in accordance with the strategy set by the former CEO PAT Gelster. In addition, an operational and competitive production facility can attract large chip designer companies that seek a stable and geographically secure production alternative.

There are various difficulties

However, TSMC engineers are not familiar with Intel’s EUV -based production processes and process recipes, so it may take months for them to influence production. In the meantime, Intel’s 3nm process is currently in mass production and 18A production technology will enter high -volume production within a few months. Based on what Intel says about 18a, this process does not seem to need more adjustment, especially adjustments made by external engineers.

TSMC’s production technologies to the US Intel factory is a challenging task. Although both of Intel and TSMC are using EUV lithography, each has unique vehicle installations, factory configurations and altitudes specific to suppliers. For example, ASML’s lithography machines usually contain special calibrations and/or additional modules that match the relevant processes of chip manufacturers. In addition, Intel and TSMC have different abrasion recipes, accumulation arrays and step controls in chip production. Therefore, if the claim is true, it will certainly be a challenging process.