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Stocks (from 19)
wafer fab. Tower later built a 200mm wa-
fer fab near the existing, older fab. It also
operates several fabs in the U.S. and in a
joint venture in Japan. (See story 35).
Intel’s Chandler, Arizona site will receive an infusion of $20 billion
for two more fabs. (Intel)
Based on Intel’s strong performance in data
center processors over the past several
years, its obvious the company has come a
long way from its early “Intel Inside” con-
sumer desktop and laptop computers to
Intel has expanded its D1X fab in Hillsboro, Oregon. (Intel) serving the demanding business enterprise
Foundry services universe.
Another Gelsinger surprise late last year
was Intel’s plan to compete with mighty 54 years old
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., On July 18, Intel will celebrate its fifty-fourth
the global leader in providing pure-play anniversary. In those five plus decades, it
wafer foundry services. has endured and propered over many of its
former contemporaries.
Last month, just a month after Gelsinger
movede into the executive suite, Intel an- The list includes Advanced Memory Sys-
nounced the formation of Intel Foundry tems, Harris Semiconductor and LSI. They
Services. have either simply gone out of business or
have been acquired.
The company said it aimed to become a
“major provider of U.S. and European- Intel’s impact through the years on semi-
based capacity” through IFS, a fully verti- conductor technology can not be mini-
cal, standalone foundry business. mized. Although the company did not in-
vent the semiconductor (that was Texas
Betting on capacity demand? Instruments), the late Robert Noyce was
Its first IFS location will be at the Chan- responsible for many important technology
dler, Arizona Ocotillo campus iin the two advances including the planar process.
planned wafer fabs.
The Market is watching
Intel, it seems, is betting that demand for Overall, the stock market has not been
more semiconductor capacity will continue. kind to Intel. While the stock did make Drs.
Is the company holding a strong hand? Moore and Noyce multi-billionaires, for its
That remains to be seen, although no iconic status, INTC has performed below
turnaround in the shortage appears immi- most of its contemporaries, including its
nent. next page
