Intel says its next major chipmaking technology, called 14A, is on track to reach high-volume manufacturing in 2028. Tom's Hardware reports that the company confirmed the timeline alongside quarterly results showing sales up 25% year-over-year and earnings that came in above its own guidance.
There's a wrinkle in the schedule that suggests things may be moving faster than the headline date implies. According to Wccftech, Intel has pulled its "risk production" phase forward to 2027 for internal products. Risk production is an early manufacturing stage where a chipmaker runs the process at limited scale to prove it works before committing to full volume. Getting Intel's own products onto 14A first is a common way to shake out problems ahead of a broader ramp.
Taken together, the two milestones — risk production in 2027, mass production in 2028 — mark concrete dates for a technology Intel is counting on to stay competitive at the leading edge of chipmaking.
The financial backdrop matters here too. A 25% jump in year-over-year sales and better-than-expected earnings, as Tom's Hardware notes, give Intel more room to fund the enormous cost of developing and rolling out a new manufacturing process.
14A refers to a future generation of Intel's process technology, the recipe and equipment used to etch transistors onto silicon. Each new generation aims to pack in more performance and efficiency.
Why it matters: Intel has spent years trying to catch rivals in advanced manufacturing, so firm dates for its 14A technology — backed by rising sales — are a signal of whether that comeback plan is staying on schedule.