Applied Materials and Intel Develop Next-Gen AI Chips

According to Applied Materials, the company announced on October 6 that it has entered into a collaboration with Intel to advance research and development in transistor, interconnect, and advanced packaging technologies for next-generation AI chips. The partnership aims to accelerate the development of advanced logic process technologies designed to support increasingly demanding AI workloads.

Under the collaboration, Applied Materials and Intel will leverage Applied Materials’ EPIC Center in Silicon Valley and Intel’s research and development campus in Hillsboro, Oregon. The two companies will focus on materials, process technologies, and device architectures required for advanced logic nodes.

The collaboration will cover both front-end and back-end wafer processes, including interconnect scaling and advanced packaging technologies. In particular, the companies will explore 3D stacking solutions based on Intel’s Foveros technology to address the growing requirements of AI chips for higher interconnect density, improved power delivery, and better thermal performance.

Gary Dickerson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Applied Materials, said that Applied Materials and Intel have a decades-long collaboration history and will continue to advance semiconductor technology through materials engineering.

Intel Chief Executive Officer Lip-Bu Tan said Applied Materials is an important partner for Intel. The companies will work together at the EPIC Center to accelerate the transition of relevant technologies from laboratory research toward high-volume manufacturing.

Located in Silicon Valley, Applied Materials’ EPIC Center is expected to become operational this year. The facility is designed to shorten the commercialization cycle from semiconductor research and development to mass production by providing a platform for the development and validation of materials, processes, and device technologies.

As demand for AI computing continues to grow, improving chip performance is increasingly extending beyond transistor scaling to areas such as interconnects, power delivery, and advanced packaging. The collaboration between Applied Materials and Intel will focus on these critical technologies to help meet the requirements of high-performance AI computing platforms for greater interconnect density, stronger power delivery, and improved thermal management.