Nk’uko amakuru abivuga, Umuyobozi Mukuru wa Intel, Lip-Bu Tan, arimo gutekereza guhagarika kwamamaza inzira yo gukora 18A (1.8nm) y’ikigo ku bakiriya b’inganda zikora ibikoresho by’ubwubatsi, ahubwo akibanda ku nzira yo gukora 14A yo mu gisekuru gitaha (1.4nm) mu rwego rwo kubona abaguzi bakomeye nka Apple na Nvidia. Iyo iyi mpinduka mu kwibandaho ibayeho, izaba ari inshuro ya kabiri yikurikiranya Intel igabanyije agaciro ibyo ishyira imbere. Ivugurura ryatanzwe rishobora kugira ingaruka zikomeye ku mikoreshereze y’imari no guhindura inzira y’ubucuruzi bwa Intel bw’inganda zikora ibikoresho by’ubwubatsi, bigatuma ikigo kiva ku isoko ry’inganda zikora ibikoresho by’ubwubatsi mu myaka iri imbere. Intel yatumenyesheje ko aya makuru ashingiye ku bitekerezo by’isoko. Ariko, umuvugizi yatanze ibindi bitekerezo ku bijyanye n’ingamba zo guteza imbere ikigo, twashyize hepfo. Umuvugizi wa Intel yabwiye Tom's Hardware ati: "Ntacyo tuvuga ku bihuha n’ibitekerezo by’isoko." "Nk’uko twabivuze mbere, twiyemeje gukomeza gahunda yacu y’iterambere, gukorera abakiriya bacu, no kunoza imiterere y’imari yacu y’ejo hazaza."
Kuva yatangira akazi muri Werurwe, Tan yatangaje gahunda yo kugabanya ikiguzi muri Mata, biteganijwe ko izasaba kwirukana abakozi no guhagarika imishinga imwe n'imwe. Nk'uko amakuru abivuga, muri Kamena, yatangiye gusangiza bagenzi be ko uburyo bwa 18A—bugamije kugaragaza ubushobozi bwa Intel mu gukora—bwari bugabanuka ku bakiriya bo hanze, bigatuma yizera ko byari bikwiye ko isosiyete ihagarika gutanga 18A na verisiyo yayo ya 18A-P nziza ku bakiriya bakora uruganda.
Ahubwo, Tan yatanze igitekerezo cyo gushyiraho andi mafaranga yo kurangiza no kwamamaza node y’ikigero gishya cy’ikigo, 14A, biteganijwe ko izaba yiteguye gukorwa mu kaga mu 2027 no mu gukora ku bwinshi mu 2028. Bitewe n’igihe cya 14A, iki ni cyo gihe cyo gutangira kuyimenyekanisha mu bakiriya bashobora kuba abakiriya ba Intel b’inganda za gatatu.
Ikoranabuhanga rya Intel ryo gukora 18A ni ryo koranabuhanga rya mbere rya Intel rikoresha transistors za RibbonFET zo mu cyiciro cya kabiri (GAA) hamwe n'umuyoboro wa PowerVia wo gutanga amashanyarazi inyuma (BSPDN). Mu buryo bunyuranye, 14A ikoresha transistors za RibbonFET n'ikoranabuhanga rya PowerDirect BSPDN, ritanga ingufu mu buryo butaziguye ku isoko no kuvoma kwa buri transistors binyuze mu buryo bwihariye, kandi rifite ikoranabuhanga rya Turbo Cells mu nzira z'ingenzi. Byongeye kandi, 18A ni ikoranabuhanga rya mbere rigezweho rya Intel rijyanye n'ibikoresho byo gushushanya ku bakiriya bayo b'ibikoresho.
Nk’uko abantu babitekereza, niba Intel ihagaritse kugurisha 18A na 18A-P hanze, izakenera gukuraho amafaranga menshi kugira ngo ikureho miliyari z’amadolari yashowe mu guteza imbere ubu buryo bw’ikoranabuhanga. Bitewe n’uburyo ikiguzi cyo guteza imbere ubu buryo kibarwa, irekurwa rya nyuma rishobora kugera kuri miliyoni amagana cyangwa ndetse na za miliyari z’amadolari.
RibbonFET na PowerVia byabanje gukorwa kuri 20A, ariko muri Kanama ishize, ikoranabuhanga ryakuweho kugira ngo ibicuruzwa by'imbere byibandwe kuri 18A ku bicuruzwa by'imbere n'ibyo hanze.
Impamvu y’iyi gahunda ya Intel ishobora kuba yoroshye cyane: mu kugabanya umubare w’abakiriya bashobora gukoresha 18A, sosiyete ishobora kugabanya ikiguzi cy’imikorere. Ibikoresho byinshi bikenewe kuri 20A, 18A, na 14A (usibye ibikoresho bya EUV bifite umubare munini) byamaze gukoreshwa mu nganda zayo za D1D muri Oregon na Fab 52 na Fab 62 muri Arizona. Ariko, iyo ibi bikoresho bitangiye gukora ku mugaragaro, sosiyete igomba kubara ikiguzi cyabyo cyo kugabanuka kw’agaciro. Mu gihe hari ibyo abakiriya ba gatatu batazi neza, kudakoresha ibi bikoresho bishobora gutuma Intel igabanya ikiguzi. Byongeye kandi, mu gihe idatanga 18A na 18A-P ku bakiriya bo hanze, Intel ishobora kuzigama ikiguzi cy’ubuhanga gifitanye isano no gushyigikira insinga z’abandi mu gupima, gukora ibintu byinshi, no gukora muri inganda za Intel. Birumvikana ko ibi ari ibitekerezo gusa. Ariko, mu guhagarika gutanga 18A na 18A-P ku bakiriya bo hanze, Intel ntabwo izashobora kwerekana ibyiza by'inganda zayo ku bakiriya benshi bafite imiterere itandukanye, bikabasigira amahitamo amwe gusa mu myaka ibiri cyangwa itatu iri imbere: gukorana na TSMC no gukoresha N2, N2P, cyangwa ndetse na A16.
Nubwo Samsung yiteguye gutangira ku mugaragaro gukora chip kuri node yayo ya SF2 (izwi kandi nka SF3P) mu mpera z'uyu mwaka, iyi node byitezwe ko izaba iri inyuma ya Intel's 18A na TSMC's N2 na A16 mu bijyanye n'ingufu, imikorere, n'ubuso. Mu by'ukuri, Intel ntabwo izahangana na N2 na A16 za TSMC, ibyo bikaba bitafasha abakiriya bashobora kugirirwa icyizere n'ibindi bicuruzwa bya Intel (nka 14A, 3-T/3-E, Intel/UMC 12nm, nibindi). Abashakashatsi batangaje ko Tan yasabye impuguke za Intel gutegura igitekerezo cyo kuganiraho n'inama y'ubutegetsi ya Intel muri iki gihembwe. Iki cyifuzo gishobora kuba gikubiyemo guhagarika gusinya abakiriya bashya kuri gahunda ya 18A, ariko bitewe n'ubunini n'uburemere bw'ikibazo, icyemezo cya nyuma gishobora gutegereza kugeza inama y'ubutegetsi yongeye guterana mu mpera z'uyu mwaka.
Bivugwa ko Intel ubwayo yanze kuganira ku bintu bishobora kubaho ariko yemeje ko abakiriya ba mbere ba 18A ari amashami yayo y’ibicuruzwa, ateganya gukoresha ikoranabuhanga mu gukora mudasobwa igendanwa ya Panther Lake CPU guhera mu 2025. Amaherezo, ibicuruzwa nka Clearwater Forest, Diamond Rapids, na Jaguar Shores bizakoresha 18A na 18A-P.
Ese hari ubusabe buke? Ingamba za Intel zo gukurura abakiriya benshi bo hanze mu ruganda rwayo ni ingenzi cyane mu iterambere ryayo, kuko umubare munini gusa ari wo uzemerera isosiyete kwishyuza amafaranga ya miliyari yakoresheje mu guteza imbere ikoranabuhanga ryayo ryo gutunganya ibintu. Ariko, usibye Intel ubwayo, Amazon, Microsoft, na Minisiteri y'Ingabo ya Amerika ni bo bonyine bemeje ku mugaragaro gahunda yo gukoresha 18A. Raporo zigaragaza ko Broadcom na Nvidia nazo zigerageza ikoranabuhanga rigezweho rya Intel mu gutunganya ibintu, ariko ntizigeze ziyemeza kurikoresha mu bicuruzwa nyabyo. Ugereranyije na N2 ya TSMC, 18A ya Intel ifite inyungu ikomeye: ishyigikira gutanga ingufu inyuma, ingirakamaro cyane cyane kuri poroseseri zifite ingufu nyinshi zigenewe porogaramu za AI na HPC. Poroseseri ya A16 ya TSMC, ifite super power rail (SPR), yitezweho gutangira gukora ibintu byinshi mu mpera za 2026, bivuze ko 18A izakomeza kugira amahirwe yo gutanga ingufu inyuma kuri Amazon, Microsoft, n'abandi bakiriya bashobora kuba abakiriya mu gihe runaka. Ariko, N2 yitezweho gutanga ubucucike bwinshi bwa transistor, bugirira akamaro igice kinini cy'ibishushanyo bya chip. Byongeye kandi, nubwo Intel imaze igihe kinini ikoresha Panther Lake chips muri D1D fab yayo (bityo, Intel iracyakoresha 18A mu gukora ibintu bishobora guteza akaga), Fab 52 na Fab 62 byatangiye gukoresha 18A test chips muri Werurwe uyu mwaka, bivuze ko bitazatangira gukora ubucuruzi chips kugeza mu mpera za 2025, cyangwa mu ntangiriro za 2025. Birumvikana ko abakiriya ba Intel bo hanze bashishikajwe no gukora imiterere yabo mu nganda zikora ikoranabuhanga rihanitse muri Arizona aho gukora ikoranabuhanga rihanitse muri Oregon.
Muri make, Umuyobozi Mukuru wa Intel, Lip-Bu Tan, arimo gutekereza guhagarika kwamamaza inzira yo gukora 18A y’iyi sosiyete ku bakiriya bo hanze, ahubwo akibanda ku nyubako nshya yo gukora 14A, igamije gukurura abakiriya bakomeye nka Apple na Nvidia. Iki gikorwa gishobora gutera ihungabana rikomeye, kuko Intel yashoye miliyari nyinshi mu guteza imbere ikoranabuhanga rya 18A na 18A-P. Kwibanda ku nzira ya 14A bishobora gufasha kugabanya ikiguzi no kwitegura neza abakiriya b’abandi, ariko bishobora no kugabanya icyizere mu bushobozi bwa Intel bwo gukora ibyuma mbere yuko inzira ya 14A itangira gukoreshwa muri 2027-2028. Nubwo node ya 18A ikomeje kuba ingenzi ku bicuruzwa bya Intel (nka Panther Lake CPU), ubusabe buke bw’abantu ba gatatu (kugeza ubu, Amazon, Microsoft, na Minisiteri y’Ingabo ya Amerika nibo bonyine bemeza ko bazayikoresha) butera impungenge ku bijyanye n’uko ishobora kubaho. Iki cyemezo gishobora gutuma Intel ishobora kuva ku isoko rinini ry’ibikoresho mbere yuko inzira ya 14A itangizwa. Nubwo Intel yahitamo gukuraho uburyo bwa 18A mu bikoresho byayo byo gushushanya ku bikoresho bitandukanye n'abakiriya, isosiyete izakomeza gukoresha uburyo bwa 18A mu gukora uduce duto tw'ibikoresho byayo byamaze gukorerwa iyo nzira. Intel kandi irateganya kuzuza amabwiriza yayo y'agateganyo, harimo no guha uduce duto tw'ibikoresho abakiriya bavuzwe haruguru.
Igihe cyo kohereza: 21 Nyakanga-2025