Meanwhile, rumours are resurrected about a takeover.

Intel hopes to start to ramp its 18A process at its Oregon development fab in H2 2025 which would suggest it will not be in volume production until 2026, while TSMC says it will be in high volume production on its equivalent N2 process in H2 2025.

Intel’s next process after 18A, 14A, is being developed using High-NA EUV at Oregon. There have been no recent projections about when, or if, 14A will be production-ready.

TSMC’s A16 is equivalent to Intel’s 14A and set to deliver an improvement over N2 of 8-10% in speed and 7-10% density. When A16 is in high volume production next year,  Intel could be a generation behind.

With hindsight, Intel’s problems started with its 2021 stated intention to catch up in process tech in four years. As Malcolm Penn, CEO of Future Horizons, said at last week’s IFS2025: “Once you fall behind it’s awfully difficult to catch up. The rule of thumb is it takes a decade.”

Last week, SemiAccurate reported it had seen an email saying that a potential buyer for the whole operation with enough money to pay for it was interested in acquiring the company,

Speculation about  possible buyers includes: Apple, Nvidia, Softbank.  Broadcom Apollo and Brookfield

There are indications that investors are getting fed up with  supporting Intel’s attempt to catch up in process technology which has seen the shares drop from 60 to 20 in the last three years