Intel has announced that the initial portion of the cleanroom is "weather tight" and the "blow down" phase has begun at the company's two new leading-edge chip factories on its Ocotillo campus in Chandler, marking a milestone in the company's ongoing production expansion in Arizona.
Intel reinforced its commitment to Arizona in 2021 by pledging a US$20 billion investment. This expansion project includes the construction of two advanced semiconductor fabs in Ocotillo, bringing Intel's total investment in Arizona to more than US$50 billion over the last four decades. The new fabs will produce Intel's most advanced process technologies, including Intel 18A and Intel 20A featuring the new RibbonFET and PowerVia innovations.
The current expansion is expected to create more than 3,000 high-tech and high-wage Intel jobs, along with 3,000 construction jobs, according to Intel.
"Our commitment to Arizona runs deep and as we expand our operations, we remain dedicated to addressing the growing demand for semiconductors and helping the United States regain its leadership position in this vital industry," said Dan Doron, Intel VP and GM of fab construction enterprise.
Intel previously stated that the Intel 20A process node would be the first to incorporate PowerVia, Intel's backside power delivery technology, and RibbonFET, a revolutionary gate-all-around (GAA) transistor design. At the Intel Innovation 2023 conference in September, the company displayed an Intel 20A wafer containing the first test processors for the Arrow Lake processor, which will be available in 2024 for client validation.
As for Intel 18A, which also utilizes PowerVia and RibbonFET, the process node is expected to be ready for production in the second half of 2024, according to the company.
