[美, 반도체 패권 전면전]
U.S. declares ‘semiconductor hegemony in AI era’
Intel: “Leadership must come from Asia”
Secretary of Commerce – MS “Strong supply chain support”… Creating an ecosystem from development to design to manufacturing
“We will become the world’s second largest foundry by 2030.”
Intel announced on the 21st (local time) that it will join hands with Microsoft (MS) to mass produce 1.8nm (nanometer, 1nm is 1 billionth of a meter) semiconductor at the end of this year. The goal is to succeed in the 1.4-nano process by 2027 and leap to second place in the world, surpassing Samsung Electronics. The narrower the nanoscale semiconductor circuit line width, the lower the power consumption and the faster the processing speed, resulting in superior performance. If Intel succeeds in mass producing 1.8-nano chips by the end of the year, it will surpass Samsung Electronics and Taiwan’s TSMC’s plans to mass-produce 2-nano chips in 2025.
Intel announced this after holding its first foundry (consignment production) event, ‘Intel Foundry Service (IFS) Direct Connect 2024’, in San Jose, California, on this day. Foundry latecomer Intel’s ambitious plans have raised doubts in the industry, but this time was different. This is because Microsoft, a leading American artificial intelligence (AI) company, surprisingly appeared as a customer that ordered Intel’s 1.8 nano chips.
The event on this day was the United States’ declaration of war to launch an all-out ‘Chip War’ to bring about semiconductor hegemony. This is because companies and the government have come together to clearly demonstrate their will to complete the U.S. semiconductor ecosystem by not only developing and designing AI chips, but also taking the lead in ‘advanced semiconductor manufacturing and production’ that was lost to Asian countries such as Korea and Taiwan.
Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger said, “For 50 years, world politics has been determined by where oil comes from. “Now semiconductors are the main character,” he said, adding, “We need to bring 50% of the manufacturing share from Asia, which accounts for 80%, to the Western world.” “We are all committed to supporting Intel’s efforts to build a strong supply chain in the United States,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said. U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Lermondo also praised Intel as a champion of the U.S. semiconductor industry in a video speech and said, “For the U.S. to lead the global market, continuous investment is needed, whether through the second semiconductor law or other means.”
Although Intel’s current foundry market share is minimal, it could pose a threat to Samsung Electronics if it makes a great leap forward in technology thanks to strong subsidies from the United States. Kim Jeong-ho, a professor in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at KAIST, said, “The burden has increased for Korean companies caught between TSMC, the world’s No. 1 foundry, and the U.S. offensive.” He added, “Companies must seize opportunities with cutting-edge technology, and the government must step in to secure talent and provide financial support.” said.
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Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.