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Anton Shilov is a contributing writer at Tom\u2019s Hardware. Over the past couple of decades, he has covered everything from CPUs and GPUs to supercomputers and from modern process technologies and latest fab tools to high-tech industry trends. ","collapsible":{"enabled":true,"maxHeight":250,"readMoreText":"Read more","readLessText":"Read less"}}), "https://slice.vanilla.futurecdn.net/13-4-25/js/authorBio.js"); } else { console.error('%c FTE ','background: #9306F9; color: #ffffff','no lazy slice hydration function available'); } Anton Shilov Social Links Navigation Contributing Writer Anton Shilov is a contributing writer at Tom’s Hardware. Over the past couple of decades, he has covered everything from CPUs and GPUs to supercomputers and from modern process technologies and latest fab tools to high-tech industry trends.
Gururu I couldn't find anything in the source material about "Still not out of the woods". Reply
bit_user Gururu said: I couldn't find anything in the source material about "Still not out of the woods". That's probably being inferred by omission. If their overall yields were up, that's what they would report – not merely a drop in variability. The article said: wafer-to-wafer variability is only one contributor to yield loss, so fixing it means that Intel can now consistently improve product yields, but it does not necessarily mean overall yield is where Intel wants it to be. Reply
usertests bit_user said: That's probably being inferred by omission. If their overall yields were up, that's what they would report – not merely a drop in variability. Maybe the wafer count is relevant as well. Is 15k/month a lot? TSMC was targeting 100k/month N2 wafers this year: TSMC’s 2nm Capacity Completely Sold Out At Two Local Plants For 2026, Production Output Target At 100,000 Monthly Wafers By Next Year However, I don't think Intel needs that many wafers, as long as they are their own primary customer (with 14A and other nodes promising to be the draw for external customers). Reply
Gururu bit_user said: That's probably being inferred by omission. If their overall yields were up, that's what they would report – not merely a drop in variability. So why report the unreported and omit any reports to support the claim? I defer to the TechPowerup report that is straight to the point without the drama. Reply
bit_user Gururu said: So why report the unreported and omit any reports to support the claim? I defer to the TechPowerup report that is straight to the point without the drama. Uh, sounds to me like that TechPowerUp author is still doing a bit of guess-work. It could be that their reading is too simplistic. Consider that the simplest take isn't necessarily the most accurate. I don't know that TechPowerUp author, but I've been reading Anton's articles on here & Anandtech for about a decade (and he's been in the business, far long). I know his understanding of semiconductor fabrication goes quite deep, so I tend to trust his take. Reply
bit_user usertests said: Maybe the wafer count is relevant as well. That really doesn't tell us much about yield, though. usertests said: However, I don't think Intel needs that many wafers, as long as they are their own primary customer Need? It's more like they can't support external customers, because they simply don't have enough 18A fab capacity. Reply
Gururu bit_user said: Uh, sounds to me like that TechPowerUp author is still doing a bit of guess-work. It could be that their reading is too simplistic. Consider that the simplest take isn't necessarily the most accurate. I don't know that TechPowerUp author, but I've been reading Anton's articles on here & Anandtech for about a decade (and he's been in the business, far long). I know his understanding of semiconductor fabrication goes quite deep, so I tend to trust his take. Facts are always simple, mostly due to there being evidence to support them. Alternative facts are never simple, because they are rarely presented with evidence. Reply
bit_user Gururu said: Facts are always simple, Nothing about semiconductor fabrication is simple. Someone reporting without nuance is likely oversimplifying. I don't mean to attribute malfeasance, here. It could just be that they don't understand what information they're seeing, or at least well enough or with enough context to read between the lines. Reply
Gururu bit_user said: It could just be that they don't understand what information they're seeing, or at least well enough or with enough context to read between the lines. Please back this up. What is in the source that they did not see? If you must respond with "they didn't read between the lines" then I am going to ask please provide the latest evidence to support what is known to be between the lines. Reply
bit_user Gururu said: Please back this up. What is in the source that they did not see? If you must respond with "they didn't read between the lines" then I am going to ask please provide the latest evidence to support what is known to be between the lines. You're asking me to be an expert, which I'm not. But, neither are you. It just sounds to me like you've decided to believe in a more favorable narrative. I don't know if that's wrong, but I do trust Anton on this stuff. I also don't trust simplistic narratives, especially because industry likes to put a spin on this stuff and usually the simplistic reading is the one where the author got fooled by it. If I had a real stake in the matter, I'd do more digging. Because I don't, I'm content to leave it at that. Either way, believe what you like. Reply
Key considerations
- Investor positioning can change fast
- Volatility remains possible near catalysts
- Macro rates and liquidity can dominate flows
Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/semiconductors/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/semiconductors/intel-18a-wafer-to-wafer-yield-issues-fixed-report-claims-says-production-up-to-15-000-wafers-per-month-at-both-sites#main
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Informational only. No financial advice. Do your own research.