Intel announces partnership with ARM in semiconductor chip production business, to mass-produce ARM-based SoC in 2017

By Intel Corporation

In the IDF 2016 (Intel Developer Forum 2016) held from 16th August 2016, Intel announced that it will partner with ARM in the foundry business to produce semiconductor chips. Based on this, Intel will be able to produce a higher level ARM-based SoC than ever.

Accelerating Foundry Innovation for a Smart and Connected World | Intel Newsroom
https://newsroom.intel.com/editorials/accelerating-foundry-innovation-smart-connected-world/


ARM Processors: ARM IP and Intel Custom Foundry ... | ARM Connected Community
https://community.arm.com/groups/processors/blog/2016/08/16/arm-ip-and-intel-custom-foundry-collaboration-a-new-era-for-premium-mobile-design


Intel Licenses ARM Technology to Boost Foundry Business - Bloomberg
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-08-16/intel-licenses-arm-technology-in-move-to-boost-foundry-business

Production facilities (fabs), which require huge administrative expenses, are necessary to manufacture semiconductor chips, and huge research expenses are required to develop production technology. For this reason, it is difficult for any manufacturer to produce semiconductor chips in-house, and instead, a business with a production system will undertake the production of large quantities of semiconductor chips will be established. The company that produces this chip is called "Foundry(Manufacturer) ", leaving production to foundry manufacturers who do not have fabs"FablessIt is called such as.

For exampleIPad Pro"Apple A9X" is installed as SoC. As the name suggests, this Apple A9X design is done by Apple, but Apple is fabless and its production is done by Taiwanese foundry TSMC. The SoC "Apple A 9" installed in the iPhone 6s is produced by Samsung and TSMC,There is slight performance differenceIt is known to be.

Intel has filled most of its production lines with its own products for a long time, but in recent years, under the direction of CEO Brian Kruzanic, we have strengthened our foundry business. For example,Manufacturing processAt SoC manufacturer in China is fablessSpreadtrumProducts in the 22 nm fabrication process is a fabless semiconductor manufacturer based in San JoseAchronixWe produce products.

And Intel's efforts to strengthen further foundry business is a partnership with ARM announced this time. By doing thisARM Artisan Physical IP solutionYaPOP IP, Making it possible to produce ARM's high performance SoC in Intel 's 10 nm fabrication process. As a result, Intel, which has been lagging behind in the mobile market, will be able to produce even SoC for Qualcomm and Apple.

In the line of this 10 nm manufacturing process, we will first produce a new generation of SoCs based on ARM, ordered from LG Electronics.

Korea's LG plans to make its own mobile chips - in Intel's factories - Recode
http://www.recode.net/2016/8/16/12507216/lg-chip-manufacture-korea-intel

By the way, we announced this announcement that ARM is collaborating with Intel through formal blogs and that this tie-up is just a milestone in the long-standing relationship.

It was in 2013 that Intel entered the foundry business. Three years from then, we will have more weapons, but what will happen to the future of 'strong foundation 3 strong era'?

Semiconductor portal
https://www.semiconportal.com/archive/blog/insiders/izumiya/130610-foundry.html