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Intel to Acquire Tower Semiconductor for $5.4B

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Re: Intel to Acquire Tower Semiconductor for $5.4B

#51

Post by jabl »

sanxiyn wrote: post #34
throwaway81523 wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Intel Foundry Services (IFS) is marketing themselves as the only fab capable of producing all three of x86, Arm, and RISC-V. Capable? From the fab point of view, all three of those are just rectangles.

I mean, same rectangles won't work for different foundries. It is saying we have these IP cores tested and working with the process.

This, and also the licensing question. Intel has said they will license x86 cores for use in 3rd party SoC's/chiplets, but maybe only if you use IFS.

Re: Intel to Acquire Tower Semiconductor for $5.4B

#52

Post by jcranmer »

nickpeterson wrote: post #44

Intel will succeed as long as it isn’t grossly mismanaged simply because the US government needs them to succeed. I’m also surprised they don’t pressure Apple to start building fabs in the US as well considering they own the entire stack now.

Apple doesn't fab chips itself; those come from TSMC… who are building fabs in the US now.

Re: Intel to Acquire Tower Semiconductor for $5.4B

#53

Post by Hamuko »

nickpeterson wrote: post #44

Intel will succeed as long as it isn’t grossly mismanaged simply because the US government needs them to succeed. I’m also surprised they don’t pressure Apple to start building fabs in the US as well considering they own the entire stack now.

I'd foresee Apple ordering chips from Intel Foundry Services' new US fabs before Apple actually building their own fabs. Although AFAIK, IFS fabs do not yet compete in the same nodes as TSMC.

Re: Intel to Acquire Tower Semiconductor for $5.4B

#54

Post by ginko »

jabl wrote: post #50
ginko wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Intel Foundry Services (IFS) is marketing themselves as the only fab capable of producing all three of x86, Arm, and RISC-V. TSMC is producing all of these. Not like the architecture matters from a foundry POV anyways.

TSMC is producing some x86 cpu's for Intel. I think what they're saying here is that they will license x86 cores for integrating into 3rd party SoC's/chiplets, but only if you use IFS.

They're also producing all x86 CPUs for AMD.

Re: Intel to Acquire Tower Semiconductor for $5.4B

#56

Post by jcranmer »

jabl wrote: post #50
ginko wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Intel Foundry Services (IFS) is marketing themselves as the only fab capable of producing all three of x86, Arm, and RISC-V. TSMC is producing all of these. Not like the architecture matters from a foundry POV anyways.

TSMC is producing some x86 cpu's for Intel. I think what they're saying here is that they will license x86 cores for integrating into 3rd party SoC's/chiplets, but only if you use IFS.

As far as I'm aware, all current Intel x86 CPUs are Intel fab-only, although https://www.tomshardware.com/uk/news/intel-to-outsource-some... suggests that TSMC x86 CPUs might come out in 2023.

Re: Intel to Acquire Tower Semiconductor for $5.4B

#57

Post by ChrisMarshallNY »

unfocussed_mike wrote: post #49
ChrisMarshallNY wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

US-based TSMC. They have a good chance of succeeding. They are likely to get a lot of government help. They’ll probably start with older systems, as there’s already a huge need for these, and they have a gazillion existing fabs. It won’t compete with their current lines, and means they don’t need to mothball their legacy fabs.

> They are likely to get a lot of government help. Indeed -- the not so subtle subtext of their pitch is "China, eh? Have fun with that." . So a pitch based on the idea that it's strategically important to bring that chip manufacturing "home". Which is why they picked Israel. /s

> Which is why they picked Israel.

Well, there's a lot of history in that relationship.

Israel really does have some of the finest scientists and engineers in the world -partly thanks to the antisemitism of a lot of other nations.

I have a feeling that Israel (and Iran) have the potential to completely transform the Mideast, but all that fighting is keeping that from happening. If they ever started to work in cooperation with some of their neighbors, we'd see a new power bloc emerge.

If they ever actually have a real, lasting peace, out there, the rest of the world had better hang on, as every single one of those nations would love to not have to be dependent on some superpower.

Re: Intel to Acquire Tower Semiconductor for $5.4B

#58

Post by unfocussed_mike »

ChrisMarshallNY wrote: post #57
unfocussed_mike wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> They are likely to get a lot of government help. Indeed -- the not so subtle subtext of their pitch is "China, eh? Have fun with that." . So a pitch based on the idea that it's strategically important to bring that chip manufacturing "home". Which is why they picked Israel. /s

> Which is why they picked Israel. Well, there's a lot of history in that relationship. Israel really does have some of the finest scientists and engineers in the world -partly thanks to the antisemitism of a lot of other nations. I have a feeling that Israel (and Iran) have the potential to completely transform the Mideast, but all that fighting is keeping that from happening. If they ever started to work in coopera…

Yes. I guess what I meant is that there could be an element of the strategic in the choice, particularly for a business that seeks government money in the near future if the US House of Representatives does swing back to GOP control.

Though Tower Semi are clearly enormously capable, so it's hardly a bad acquisition, even absent seeking access to a pot of money with a strategic aspect to it.

Re: Intel to Acquire Tower Semiconductor for $5.4B

#59

Post by recuter »

ChrisMarshallNY wrote: post #57
unfocussed_mike wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> They are likely to get a lot of government help. Indeed -- the not so subtle subtext of their pitch is "China, eh? Have fun with that." . So a pitch based on the idea that it's strategically important to bring that chip manufacturing "home". Which is why they picked Israel. /s

> Which is why they picked Israel. Well, there's a lot of history in that relationship. Israel really does have some of the finest scientists and engineers in the world -partly thanks to the antisemitism of a lot of other nations. I have a feeling that Israel (and Iran) have the potential to completely transform the Mideast, but all that fighting is keeping that from happening. If they ever started to work in coopera…

> I have a feeling that Israel (and Iran) have the potential to completely transform the Mideast, but all that fighting is keeping that from happening. If they ever started to work in cooperation with some of their neighbors, we'd see a new power bloc emerge.

That's exactly what is happening. The emerging power block in the Middle East is Israel+Arab States vs Iran with Turkey playing its own game.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Accords

An Ayatollah free Iran has huge potential, very true. There are reasons for cautious optimism. None of this has anything to do with Intel/Tower however.

The Intel presence in Israel goes back generations and Tower is a cheap and obvious pickup for them.

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