[trynumber9]

Regarding Texas Instruments, what's the latest and most advanced fabrication facility they have? The latest information I could find suggest 45nm.

The options in the US don't really look so bleak to go back to 45nm. Intel, Samsung and TSMC have all announced plans for new fabrication facilities in the US. $20B for two plants in Arizona for Intel, $17 billion for new plant and upgrades to S2 in Austin for Samsung, and $12B for a new plant in Arizona for TSMC. I think this is the largest semiconductor investment in the US of all time. Of course it is all planned and plans may fall through.

[pointyfence]

I was thinking more along the lines of selecting a company that plays better with the rest of the industry and has a better operational history if you wanted to bring back more of a general semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem back to the US. Focus more on building out capabilities for the rest of the industries that don't need bleeding edge node development while Intel figures out its bleeding edge.

Intel strikes me as historically one of the more ethically challenged companies that heavily relied on monopolistic power. And then when it got into trouble and that monopoly's cracks were widening at a good pace, it started waving the flag after spending $20B+ on stock buybacks.

[trynumber9]

Intel has the need for leading edge logic processes and the money to try it. No other US company does. Micron is focused on memory and will not go into logic processes.

There are a few contract fabs in the US but none of them are anywhere near the volume Intel will have to offer as 14nm lines become available for other customers.

Anyway, I don't understand your proposal. Intel is doing what it can. Other US semiconductor companies are doing what they can. Unless you want the government to pressure Intel to sell some of their 14nm fabs to companies who have an interest in contract manufacturing I suspect this is just the way things will go.

[trhway]

>Focus more on building out capabilities for the rest of the industries that don't need bleeding edge node development

i think that would be a huge strategic error. Most of those "the rest of the industries" are in turn going to get access to and reap the benefits of the bleeding edge as soon as they can, so building out non-bleeding edge specifically for them is a losing game.

The announcement itself seems to be a kitchen sink. They are going to do everything in a new and cool way! Kind of obvious that Pat can't break the death grip of the manufacturing people - after all it is that vertical integration that has brought all those record revenues in the recent years. Of course it has also caused Intel to fall that far behind.

[missedthecue]

Interesting that both Intel and TSMC chose AZ. Isn't chip manufacturing very water intensive? Other states like say Michigan have more water than they know what to do with, between their giant aquifers, great lakes, and 1 meter of annual rainfall.

[wahern]

> Arizona has high interest because it has the five key factors for semiconductor fabs – available land, infrastructure (power, water, etc.), skilled talent, no natural disasters, and favorable tax incentives.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/tiriasresearch/2021/03/23/arizo...

Not sure if the author is simply reciting received wisdom of dubious accuracy. Perhaps some of those things are far more important than others--e.g. pre-existing talent and tax incentives.

Or maybe our assumptions are wrong. Last month I made a similar point as yours regarding water and nuclear power plants in Nevada, to which someone replied noting the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station in Arizona, the largest power plant in the United States, which sources its water from sewage. See https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26176034 and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palo_Verde_Nuclear_Generating_... In addition to providing an example of water utilization, I imagine the cheap power produced by Palo Verde probably also figures into siting preferences.

[mech422]

I actually think the 'no natural disasters' thing is good for IT... Why put a DR site someplace an earthquake or tornado could take it out?