Intel is proud to announce that its Fab 52 plant in Arizona has produced its first Intel 18A wafers.
After a disastrous year in 2024, Intel seems intent on taking a more positive approach to 2025, despite the pitfalls that are bound to lie in the American group's path. Last December, Intel's Board of Directors publicly disavowed its CEO - Pat Gelsinger - and ruthlessly pushed him into early retirement. Since then, the Group has navigated with two interim presidents. A troubled period which ends with the appointment of one of the favourites for the job. Released by Intel itself, theofficial announcement confirms that Lip-Bu Tan will preside over the Group's destiny. His remuneration is lower than that of his predecessor, at $1 million a year compared with Pat Gelsinger's $1.25 million. Lip-Bu Tan will, however, be able to count on a number of bonuses detailed by Tom's Hardware: a cash bonus of $2 million, a stock bonus of $14.4 million and a performance bonus of $17 million paid over five years on condition that Intel's share price holds up over the next three years.
The eagle has landed © Intel
To maintain this share price, Lip-Bu Tan will be able to count on many of the reforms undertaken by his predecessor and, in particular, on the boost given to the Intel 18A etch node. For several weeks now, Intel has not missed an opportunity to point out how close it is to mass production on this all-important etching process. With the Intel 18A, the American firm hopes to be able to compete with TSMC and win back new customers, the only way for the production division, Intel Foundry, to get out of its rut. The latest news on this subject comes from Intel Foundry President Naga Chandrasekaran, whose message is not necessarily very clear: " The eagle has landed ". At Intel, Project Eagle refers to the ramp-up of the Fab 52 and Fab 62 factories in Arizona. They will be the first to produce chips according to the 18A node, and it was Fab 52 that produced the first Intel 18A wafers just a few days ago. Enough to give confidence to Intel and its new CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, even if the hurdles remain numerous: mass production is not expected to start before early 2026 in Fab 52, and even later in Fab 62.
