Intel ready to upgrade its plants in New Mexico and beyond [updated]

Update 04/05/2021

Below is an official statement from Intel on the matter.

“Regarding EU incentives for semiconductors, Intel has not requested a specific figure. Our CEO said European leaders must make the necessary investments to secure a vibrant semiconductor industry, create resilient supply and expand innovation over the long term. Currently, opening a chip factory in Europe or the United States can be 20-40% more expensive than doing it in Asian countries. We are looking to Europe and the United States to help balance the global supply of silicon products geographically and the response we have received from government leaders is encouraging. "

Original article

Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger recently hosted the 60 Minutes program to discuss the ongoing chip shortage in a wide-ranging interview with Leslie Stahl, CBS News correspondent. The latter, in the course of the program, anticipated that Intel would announce a $ 3.5 billion cost upgrade to its Rio Rancho, New Mexico facility this week.

The plant upgrade follows in the wake of Intel's transition to its new IDM 2.0 model which will result in the production of custom chips for third parties and the consequent improvement of its manufacturing capacity. The Santa Clara-based company has already announced a $ 20 billion investment in two new factories in Arizona and is also seeking subsidies from the US government for further expansion on American soil. Intel recently confirmed a $ 10 billion investment in its Israeli facilities and is also reportedly seeking funding of around $ 10 billion from the EU to build a new factory in Europe. Intel's spree will serve to counter rival TSMC, which has announced a $ 100 billion investment in factories and "research and development" for the next three years.

Intel's investment in Rio Rancho may include funding for the production of Optane memory (also called 3D XPoint). The only other company committed to this technology, Micron, recently announced that it will cease production at the end of 2021 and plans to put its 3D XPoint factory in Lehi, Utah up for sale around the same time. Among other functions, Intel's Rio Rancho facility is currently used as the “R&D” and manufacturing center for Optane media. Intel originally co-developed the technology in collaboration with Micron and owns the associated IP, meaning Intel can manufacture the devices, but the Rio Rancho factory is currently not being used for mass production.

Optane is a new type of memory that fuses the speed and endurance of DRAM with the persistence of data storage devices, but has encountered some obstacles in its market success. The abandonment of Micron means that if Intel wants to continue to focus on Optane memories, at least in the server field, it will have to buy Micron's 3D XPoint plant or start its own production lines. Given that Rio Rancho is the home of his Optane research, it wouldn't be surprising to see Intel establish production lines right there.

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