➀ Intel is reportedly targeting a recently retired TSMC executive to lead its key R&D efforts.

➁ Wei-Jen Lo, former TSMC Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy Development, is rumored to be joining Intel.

➂ Lo's move could have significant implications for TSMC and the Taiwanese semiconductor industry.

➀ Intel Corporation dispels speculation about discontinuing its 14A process technology;

➁ Affirms the importance of 14A node development for its long-term manufacturing strategy;

➂ Strengthens partnership with Nvidia, aiming for further collaboration in technology development.

➃ Intel's progress on 14A is supported by the recruitment of specialized engineering talent in process technology;

➄ Intel's renewed focus on 14A reflects its improving financial position and broader effort to rebuild execution credibility;

➅ Intel continues to advance its 18A process technology, which anchors its next-generation product lineup;

➆ Intel and Nvidia are jointly defining a new platform, codenamed Crescent Island, for advanced artificial intelligence inference workloads;

➇ The collaboration with Nvidia represents incremental growth potential for Intel, opening new revenue streams without overlapping existing business segments;

➈ Intel's financial strategy remains disciplined, with a focus on verified customer demand and return potential.

➀ Intel's 18A process is progressing steadily but faces low yields, with industry-standard levels projected by 2027;

➁ Panther Lake CPUs will ramp up slowly, prioritizing high-end models to maximize margins;

➂ Intel plans limited 18A capacity expansion, with peak supply anticipated by the decade's end.

➀ Intel reported Q3 2025 revenue of $13.7B (+3% YoY) and $4.1B operating profit, driven largely by one-time asset sales and government funding;

➁ Key divisions showed mixed performance: Client Computing Group revenue rose 7.6% QoQ to $8.5B, while Foundry losses narrowed to $2.3B amid capacity shortages;

➂ Q4 guidance remains cautious ($12.8B-$13.8B revenue), prioritizing data center CPU production as demand outpaces supply.

➀ The U.S. government is negotiating equity-for-funding deals with quantum computing companies like Atom Computing and IonQ, leveraging the CHIPS Act to strengthen domestic tech leadership;

➁ Companies seek at least $10 million each via the Commerce Department's Chips R&D Office, with funds redirected from Biden-era programs under Secretary Howard Lutnick;

➂ This initiative mirrors earlier stakes in Intel (9.9%) and MP Materials, aiming to boost national competitiveness in quantum tech while securing future financial returns for taxpayers.

➀ The U.S. government's 10% stake purchase in Intel led to a $73 billion market cap surge, benefiting both Intel and national revenue;

➁ Intel secured a strategic partnership with NVIDIA to supply data center CPUs and integrate GPUs, highlighting renewed industry confidence;

➂ The investment underscores U.S. efforts to strengthen domestic semiconductor sovereignty amid global tech supply chain tensions with China.

➀ TSMC will begin constructing its 1.4nm fab in Taichung on November 5th, with a $49 billion investment, targeting mass production by H2 2028 and generating up to $15.9 billion in annual revenue;

➁ Due to strong demand for 1.4nm chips (priced at $45k per wafer), TSMC will build four 1.4nm fabs simultaneously, revising initial plans for two 1.4nm and two 1nm fabs;

➂ The move aims to solidify TSMC's process leadership amid competition from Intel's 18A and Samsung's 2nm advancements, with TSMC opting against high-NA EUV tools for cost and maturity reasons.

➀ Moore's Law faced collapse in the early 2000s due to planar transistor limitations, including excessive leakage currents and power inefficiency at sub-90nm nodes;

➁ Dr. Chenming Hu invented the 3D FinFET structure, enabling superior electrostatic control and 37-50% efficiency improvements, allowing transistor scaling to 3nm and beyond;

➂ FinFET adoption by Intel (22nm), TSMC (16nm), and Samsung revived Moore's Law, enabling modern AI/5G/HPC chips with densities exceeding 200 million transistors/mm².

➀ The latest Steam survey highlights the ongoing trend of AMD gaining ground on Intel among Steam gamers, with AMD processors now accounting for 41.31% of the market, up 1.15% from the previous month.

➁ Despite the decline, Intel still dominates with a 58.61% share, but it has been steadily decreasing over time.

➂ The survey also shows a rise in Windows 11 adoption, with over 63% of Steam gamers using the operating system, as Windows 10 support comes to an end.

➀ NVIDIA and Intel announced a multi-billion-dollar partnership to co-develop x86 chips integrating RTX GPU tiles using Intel's Foveros/EMIB packaging technologies, targeting premium laptops and AI PCs;

➁ The partnership leverages Intel's advanced packaging to bypass TSMC's CoWoS bottleneck, while NVIDIA gains x86 ecosystem access without developing CPUs;

➂ The move challenges AMD's APU dominance, offering coherent CPU-GPU memory sharing through NVLink (900GB/s bandwidth) and redefining multi-foundry chip integration strategies.

➀ Intel is reportedly in early-stage discussions with AMD to add the Ryzen and Radeon chip designer as a foundry client.

➁ This would be another vote of confidence after a series of major investments into Intel.

➂ The potential deal has implications for AMD's business in the AI market.

➀ Nvidia invests $5 billion in Intel to co-develop x86 server CPUs and client SoCs, marking a strategic shift for both companies;

➀ The deal provides Intel with immediate financial relief but faces skepticism about its ability to revive the struggling chipmaker amid persistent cash burn and delayed 18A node development;

➂ Geopolitical factors, including U.S. government equity stakes and SoftBank's involvement, underscore the deal's alignment with America-First industrial policies and semiconductor supply chain security.

➀ Intel appoints Srini Iyengar to lead its Central Engineering Group, marking a strategic shift toward becoming a contract custom chip designer;

➁ The company secures a multi-year deal to develop custom Xeon CPUs for NVIDIA's AI platforms, a critical milestone in its foundry ambitions;

➂ The semiconductor industry faces rising demand for bespoke chips across AI, automotive, and hyperscaler markets, with Intel positioning itself through IP integration and advanced packaging tech.

➀ Global semiconductor equipment spending reached $33.07 billion in Q2 2025, up 23% YoY, with China ($11.36B) leading but declining 7%, while Taiwan ($8.77B, +125%) surged driven by TSMC;

➁ U.S. fab projects face delays (Intel, Micron, Samsung), contributing to North America's 41% QoQ spending drop;

➂ 2025 global Capex is projected at $160B (+3% YoY), with mixed 2026 forecasts: Intel plans cuts, Micron and TSMC (predicted $45B in 2026) eye expansions amid CHIPS Act policy shifts under Trump's administration.

➀ Intel is in early talks with Apple for a potential investment and collaboration, following recent funding from NVIDIA, SoftBank, and U.S. CHIPS Act equity conversion.

➁ Apple transitioned from Intel CPUs to its own Arm-based chips in 2020 but still uses Intel-related technologies like Thunderbolt and PCIe.

➂ A partnership could boost Intel's public image and align with Apple's $600B U.S. investment pledge, though negotiations remain uncertain.

➀ Global semiconductor equipment spending surged 23% YoY in Q2 2025, reaching $33.07B, with China ($11.36B), Taiwan ($8.77B), and South Korea leading regional investments.

➁ North America’s spending declined due to wafer fab delays (Intel, Micron, Samsung) amid administration policy shifts, while TSMC drove Taiwan’s 125% growth through aggressive CapEx.

➂ 2025 global CapEx is projected at $160B (+3% YoY), but 2026 forecasts vary; concerns grow over U.S. CHIPS Act implementation under Trump’s equity-focused strategy.

➀ Intel's stock value stagnated over 25 years, with $10,000 invested in 2000 now equivalent to $18,651 after inflation;

➁ Intel spent $133.86 billion on stock buybacks from 2000-2021, raising questions about prioritizing financial maneuvering over process technology R&D;

➂ Former CEO Paul Otellini’s 2008 dismissal of Arm’s potential in smartphones highlights strategic missteps and managerial hubris.

➀ Microsoft developed a new cooling technology by etching microfluidic channels directly into silicon chips, aiming to improve heat dissipation for high-power AI accelerators and future 3D-IC designs;

➁ The prototype used a 3rd Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processor (likely Ice Lake) with DDR4 RDIMMs, demonstrating leak-proof packaging and structural integrity challenges in channel depth optimization;

➂ This approach reduces thermal interface layers and increases surface contact, potentially revolutionizing liquid cooling for advanced chip packaging architectures.

➀ NVIDIA invests $5B in Intel to leverage its advanced Foveros 3D packaging and EMIB bridge technology for next-gen AI SoCs;

➁ Intel's stacking solutions enable hybrid chiplet designs, boosting interconnect bandwidth by 3-10x compared to planar layouts;

➂ The partnership grants NVIDIA domestic US packaging capacity, reducing reliance on TSMC while accelerating time-to-market for complex AI systems.