Has AMD determined to have its arch rival, Intel, manufacture chips within the USA? That is the dramatic conclusion some observers are drawing from a job advert posted by AMD.
In line with this publish on X, AMD is on the lookout for new hires with expertise of “taping out” chips with “PowerVia” expertise. “That is HUGE!” the publish concludes.
You heard it right here first: AMD $AMD is planning to make use of Intel $INTC foundry to fabricate chips within the USA (not simply packaging). Throughout my job itemizing analysis, I uncovered a job itemizing posted by AMD that mentions Intel’s “PowerVia” beneath most well-liked expertise… That is HUGE! pic.twitter.com/BSZgjadWDODecember 12, 2025
For positive, the Intel connection is evident sufficient. “PowerVia” is Intel’s branding for what’s recognized extra generically within the chip-making business as bottom energy. Within the easiest phrases, it is a new expertise that entails transferring the facility supply networks in chips under the transistors. It is claimed to end in sooner and extra environment friendly chips.
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What’s extra, PowerVia is being launched on Intel’s upcoming Intel 18A node. Put all that along with Intel’s said want to make chips for all comers on its new course of nodes, the truth that “taping out” refers to how chip designs are finalised and despatched to the manufacturing unit for manufacturing and the broader impetus to carry chip manufacturing again to the US, and you’ve got one doable and fairly thrilling conclusion: AMD goes to make chips with Intel.
After all, that’s however one conclusion. It is also doable that AMD is merely evaluating Intel’s new nodes and desires some hires with expertise of Intel’s newest tech.
Certainly, if you wish to cowl off all of the bases, you’d need to account for the likelihood that AMD has no actual intention to make chips with Intel, however that if it desires to maximise using Intel as a bargaining device towards TSMC, the place AMD presently makes most of its chips, it might pay to know Intel’s providing very well.
That is significantly true when you think about that TSMC, too, is planning on introducing bottom energy on its future A16 node, due to enter quantity manufacturing late subsequent yr. On paper, this places Intel forward of TSMC on the subject of introducing bottom energy. And that may very well be a keep on with which AMD would possibly gently faucet TSMC.
The fact, in fact, might be extra sophisticated. Intel says it can launch its new Panther Lake CPU utilizing 18A silicon with PowerVia tech in January. Even when that does occur, it will not be fully clear if Intel is absolutely forward of TSMC.
Up to now, Intel has pushed chips out on nodes with poor yields to be able to hit deadlines. One apparent instance is the Cannon Lake chip on 10 nm in 2018. It was a tiny CPU with out built-in graphics on account of Intel’s lack of ability to make 10 nm silicon at scale. However Intel needed to have the ability to say it was promoting 10 nm chips, so a small variety of Cannon Lake CPUs had been bought.
It wasn’t till Ice Lake in late 2019 that intel was making correct 10 nm CPUs. And it actually took till the discharge of Alder Lake in 2021 for Intel to maneuver a considerable chunk of its CPU manufacturing onto 10 nm-class expertise, by then rebranded to Intel 7.
In that context, it is onerous to say precisely the place Intel is with 18A. Perhaps it is a killer node, able to go at scale with nice yields and efficiency and AMD is near saying plans to make the transfer.
Or possibly it is solely nearly usable for Intel internally, as per Intel 10 nm and Cannon Lake, and there is a nice deal to show earlier than AMD, or every other actually huge buyer like, I dunno, Apple, would critically danger its relationship with TSMC to go together with Intel’s untested fabs.
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