Intel unveils new 2025 roadmap to reclaim global chip market

Chip maker Intel has detailed an ambitious architecture roadmap, showcasing a series of foundational innovations that will power products through 2025 and beyond, with the goal of leading the processor space once again.

The company on Monday showcased two breakthrough process technologies: RibbonFET, Intel’s first new transistor architecture in more than a decade, and PowerVia, an industry-first for backside power delivery.

“Building on Intel’s unquestioned leadership in advanced packaging, we are accelerating our innovation roadmap to ensure we are on a clear path to process performance leadership by 2025,” Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger said during the global “Intel Accelerated” webcast.

“We are leveraging our unparalleled pipeline of innovation to deliver technology advances from the transistor up to the system level. Until the periodic table is exhausted, we will be relentless in our pursuit of Moore’s Law and our path to innovate with the magic of silicon,” he added.

Intel 7 delivers an approximately 10 per cent to 15 per cent performance-per-watt increase versus Intel 10nm SuperFin, based on FinFET transistor optimisations.

Intel 7 will be featured in products such as Alder Lake for client in 2021 and Sapphire Rapids for the data centre, which is expected to be in production in the first quarter of 2022, the company announced.

“The innovations unveiled today will not only enable Intel’s product roadmap; they will also be critical for our foundry customers,” Gelsinger said.

Intel 4 fully embraces EUV lithography to print incredibly small features using ultra-short wavelength light.

With an approximately 20 per cent performance-per-watt increase, along with area improvements, Intel 4 will be ready for production in the second half of 2022 for products shipping in 2023.

Intel 3 will be ready to begin manufacturing products in the second half of 2023.

Intel 20A ushers in the angstrom era with two breakthrough technologies, RibbonFET and PowerVia, the company said.