My Summary:
The author believes Intel focus on highly customized design rules for x86 HPC cores prevented success on GPUs and hinders Foundry. He offers several insights I haven't encountered before (with just one reference provided however). This diagnosis appears to have much to do with why Lip-Bu Tan was selected as CEO, since the problem lies in design software, his area of expertise.
- Intel's focused strategy "enabled close coordination between circuit design and manufacturing process engineering. This close coordination focused intently on the speed and performance of its x86 CPUs."
- "Intel established a close integration between circuit design and fabrication processes by employing highly customized design rules. Users of merchant foundries were required to adhere to the rules provided by the foundry, which were designed to ensure first-pass silicon success. In contrast, Intel developed advanced lithography processes in tandem with design, frequently overcoming timing bottlenecks by aligning process and design efforts."
- "Intel developed and maintained proprietary chip design tools for routing (where metal connections are laid out), placement (where logic gates are situated), timing analysis, and power and thermal analysis. In particular, Intel’s custom power grids required logic that commercial design tools could not manage."
-"In practice, this meant that Intel's chip layouts tended to be grid-like and uniform, boosting yields on cutting-edge processes while constraining circuit designers to a limited range of geometries. This tight integration also allowed Intel to take risks with new materials and transistor structures, such as high-k dielectrics, strained silicon, and FinFETs, ahead of other foundries."
-"Intel’s intense focus on CPU performance hindered its development of more complex multi-function chips and systems. When attempting to compete with NVIDIA’s graphics GPUs in 1998, Intel’s i740 fell short because Intel’s design rules were optimized for high-speed CPUs rather than GPUs."
-"Intel started using EUV for its 7nm node, aiming for production in 2021. However, production issues emerged again, pushing back volume production to late 2023. The main challenges included mask defects, partly caused by Intel’s dependence on its proprietary design rules, software, EDA tools, and workflows."
Link: https://strategeion.substack.com/p/intels-fall-from-grace
The author believes Intel focus on highly customized design rules for x86 HPC cores prevented success on GPUs and hinders Foundry. He offers several insights I haven't encountered before (with just one reference provided however). This diagnosis appears to have much to do with why Lip-Bu Tan was selected as CEO, since the problem lies in design software, his area of expertise.
- Intel's focused strategy "enabled close coordination between circuit design and manufacturing process engineering. This close coordination focused intently on the speed and performance of its x86 CPUs."
- "Intel established a close integration between circuit design and fabrication processes by employing highly customized design rules. Users of merchant foundries were required to adhere to the rules provided by the foundry, which were designed to ensure first-pass silicon success. In contrast, Intel developed advanced lithography processes in tandem with design, frequently overcoming timing bottlenecks by aligning process and design efforts."
- "Intel developed and maintained proprietary chip design tools for routing (where metal connections are laid out), placement (where logic gates are situated), timing analysis, and power and thermal analysis. In particular, Intel’s custom power grids required logic that commercial design tools could not manage."
-"In practice, this meant that Intel's chip layouts tended to be grid-like and uniform, boosting yields on cutting-edge processes while constraining circuit designers to a limited range of geometries. This tight integration also allowed Intel to take risks with new materials and transistor structures, such as high-k dielectrics, strained silicon, and FinFETs, ahead of other foundries."
-"Intel’s intense focus on CPU performance hindered its development of more complex multi-function chips and systems. When attempting to compete with NVIDIA’s graphics GPUs in 1998, Intel’s i740 fell short because Intel’s design rules were optimized for high-speed CPUs rather than GPUs."
-"Intel started using EUV for its 7nm node, aiming for production in 2021. However, production issues emerged again, pushing back volume production to late 2023. The main challenges included mask defects, partly caused by Intel’s dependence on its proprietary design rules, software, EDA tools, and workflows."
Link: https://strategeion.substack.com/p/intels-fall-from-grace
