Featured Job

Lipstick on a Chip

Remember when Intel was the undisputed king of chips and AMD was clawing for scraps? Fast forward to 2025 and AMD is thriving while Intel just posted a $2.3 billion operating loss in its foundry business last quarter. But don’t worry. Intel has a plan. Advanced packaging.

At its recent Foundry Direct Connect event, Intel’s new CEO Lip Bu Tan took the stage to show off the company’s packaging prowess. The pitch? Intel can compete with TSMC and Samsung not by beating them on the wafer but by wrapping its chips in high tech couture. Enter EMIB T (a 2.5D bridge with TSVs) and Foveros 2 (3D chip stacking with ultra fine interconnects). These technologies are meant to make Intel the go to provider for complex, high performance chiplet designs.

And yes, the tech is impressive. EMIB T could save weeks in assembly time. Foveros 2 shrinks bump pitch to under 10 microns. Intel is even offering to package chips made at TSMC. It’s a bold move. Essentially saying, “If we can’t win your wafer, at least let us dress it up.”

But here’s the problem. Customers aren’t biting. Gartner’s Gaurav Gupta sums it up: “Intel has the technology, but TSMC has the traction.” Another analyst noted, “Leader here is very subjective.” Intel’s big reveal was long on roadmaps and light on actual customer wins.

The foundry unit’s revenue grew slightly, mostly thanks to internal demand and a few packaging deals. But it is still losing billions. Intel is betting that if it can own the packaging layer, the customers will come. So far it’s all potential, no crown.

Bottom line: Intel’s packaging tech might be award winning. But until it starts landing major design wins, it’s still just lipstick on a chip.

Source Articles:

• Fierce Electronics

• ServeTHeHome

• Semiwiki

• Data Centre Dynamics

Last Week

Thanks,

Jason