At last night’s Intel Unleashed: Engineering the Future event, Intel’s new CEO Pat Gelsinger made some key announcements about 7nm technology being developed in-house. The essence of the statements boils down to the fact that Intel was able to solve all the main problems that previously led to unpleasant delays in the release of 7nm products, and now the implementation of this technical process is moving in full accordance with the plan.

Gelsinger announced that Intel will continue to manufacture the bulk of its products in its own factories. Tuning the 7nm technology is progressing well: the company has been able to address earlier difficulties through increased use of ultra-hard ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, which has generally simplified and stabilized the technology.

It was announced that the first product to be launched using the new 7nm process will be a desktop processor codenamed Meteor Lake. Lithographic masks for the production of a 7-nm crystal with its “computing part” will be transferred to production in the second quarter of this year, after which the process of growing crystals and then testing them will begin. At the same time, the delivery of serial batches of Meteor Lake to customers is scheduled for 2023.

In the story about Meteor Lake, Intel explicitly mentioned that this product will be built from several semiconductor crystals assembled into a single whole using proprietary technologies, for example, using the Foveros 3D vertical layout. It was also said that such methods will find wide application in a variety of future products. This will make it possible to combine them from different component parts and easily adapt to the needs of different customers.

Along the way, Intel does not refuse to cooperate with external contractors and expects to expand relations with third-party semiconductor manufacturers such as TSMC, Samsung, GlobalFoundriers and UMC. As announced, Intel plans to transfer orders to partners for the production of individual modular components using the most advanced technological processes. They will then become integral parts of Intel products for both the client and server markets, starting in 2023. Using advanced contractor technology in conjunction with proprietary 7nm technology will allow Intel to optimize products in terms of cost, performance, and lead time, which Gelsinger described as a competitive advantage for the company entrusted to him.