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How Did They Build This GIANT Fab So Fast? | Intel Ohio One Memorial Day weekend flight over Intel Ohio.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! Please let me know in the comments what changes you see in this most-recent video from Friday afternoon.

Good to be back in the air again with some gorgeous light today. Enjoy!

Intel is building its Ohio One facility in advance of confirmed customer demand from the Fabless (Apple, Nvidia, hyperscalers, etc.). Intel calls this "shell ahead" approach and it is the less-understood corollary to Pat Gelsinger's bold plan for "5 nodes in 4 years" and regaining process leadership. With "shell ahead," Intel constructs just the building and makes it weathertight. It also installs core infrastructure like power, water, and climate control systems, and prepares the facility to receive manufacturing equipment and tooling for semiconductors. The most expensive elements, e.g. ASML's EUV machines, are only installed in the fab once customer orders materialize. Shell ahead is risky and costly because the strategy involves building manufacturing facilities—or "shells"—before securing firm customer commitments. This contrasts with more traditional approaches where foundries typically expanded capacity only after signing contracts with customers. That de facto approach to fab construction is no longer viable with the average fab taking 918 days (2.5 years) in North America during decade between 2010 and 2020. Add in the size and complexity of today's leading-edge processes and that construction duration grows considerably longer (likely 4 to 5 years). Intel is now de-risking its "shell ahead" approach by slowing down the timeline for Intel Ohio. The strategy seems paradoxical at first but, to me, makes more sense on further examination. For one, the slow down preserves Intel's capital by spreading the expense over more years. Intel's revenue (and profit) in its client computing segment has dropped precipitously since 2023. And two, since Ohio One is intended for that external demand, perhaps, Intel precipitate prepayment from these would-be customers who need another manufacturer than TSMC since their profit margins are being compressed.

Now with narration. Hope you find it helpful and informative.

UO threadenizens, I'm sorry for the clickbait-y title and thumbnail, but the YouTube algo feasts on the day's news. EDIT: Got rid of the Elon crap. :-) New Year, New Semiconductor FOUNDRY | Intel Ohio Highlights: 'Ms. Armstrong' is alive! Fab 1 expands its utilities level (L1) but there is no progress on the clean subfab level (L2) with just four squares erected. To the south, Fab 2 has had its 'basement' (L0) walls backfilled. To the west of both fabs, the commodities and support facilities have made serious progress. A new building with brown steel trusses has gone up around some large pump. And in the northwest laydown yard, it's 'cheek to jowl' as loads of materials, some wrapped in bright green tarps, have arrived on site. Let me know what else you see and thanks for watching!

The tower cranes stand like sentries on the wall. A year-end detailed look over the progress of Intel Ohio One.

John, there are some PDFs online about patents for semiconductors fab “waffle floors” which help a bit. But in my most recent video, look at the sandwich of additional components stacked atop these slabs. These additional things are darker in color and closer to the side by the office building pit. Should I start narrating the videos? Is there interest if I do? (It’s a lot of post-production work.)

Google Maps just updated its aerial for the Intel Ohio One site. I’ll have to cross reference with my videos but judging by the pattern of precast concrete panels, it’s fairly current. I would say about a month or two old. The trees are green, as well. https://maps.app.goo.gl/kPPXY6TCzjg77fxm9

Charging Forward: Intel Sparks U.S. Semiconductor Manufacturing | Intel Ohio One The drone was back in the air recently over Intel’s New Albany site. Updates in this installment: 1. AEP power substation has received several new transformers and related equipment. 2. Nearly 150 precast concrete panels for the cleanroom floor have been placed on subfloor pillars. 3. Ms. Armstrong, the Liebherr LR12500-1.0, is ready for her closeup. 4. Close-in detail of the precast panel inventory and mobile gantry cranes. 5. An obligatory orbit of the new water tower at sunset. https://youtu.be/sEfDoLGRGsA

After two weeks of conflicting weather and work, I was able to get the drone up over Intel Ohio One on Saturday, October 19th. Hope you enjoy the update! The Liebherr LR12500, the largest crane on site, is now fully assembled Progress on utilities infrastructure both the power substation and water tower Caught the pick of one of the precast concrete floor tiles being lifted into place Spotted crawler tracks for yet another giant crane (Demag CC8800) to be assembled

Got the drone up in the air yesterday to see the progress on assembling the massive LR 12500 at Intel Ohio One. And I counted 92 precast concrete floor tiles are now aloft. In the staging yard, there appear to be several hundred more to be hoisted.

The Liebherr LR12500 has arrived onsite at Intel Ohio One and is currently being assembled. Note the humans standing next to it for mind-boggling scale.

A quibble: it's not TSMC's 'latest chipmaking technology' that's important in the semiconductors race but rather the technology from ASML, a Netherlands-based firm. Their leading-edge technology -- and the future of semiconductors; e.g. Intel's 18A and 14A nodes -- will be enabled by ASML's 'high numerical aperture extreme ultraviolet' (High-NA EUV) lithography machines. In fact, these sophisticated machines represent the bulk of the $28 billion fab costs for Intel Ohio One (and all manufacturer's foundries for that matter). The machines are larger than charter buses and cost about $400 million. Truly fascinating technology, frankly. If you want a deep-dive on them please check out Asianometry [0] on YouTube, he extensively covers this technology -- and semiconductors more broadly. Regarding the race between TSMC and Intel, I'll add that TSMC took possession just last week of its first High-NA EUV machine from ASML [1]. For comparison, Intel received its first machine some five months ago [2]. Also, Intel has purchased the entire 2024 inventory from ASML [3]. (The machines already delivered were built in 2023.) [0] https://www.youtube.com/@Asianometry [1] https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/tsmcs-first-high-na-euv-litho-tool-to-begin-installation-this-month-according-to-industry-insiders [2] https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/newsroom/resources/intel-high-na-euv.html [3] https://www.extremetech.com/computing/report-intel-bought-all-of-asmls-high-na-euv-machines-for-2024

This video was shot over two days last week. Keen observers may notice that a half-dozen of the precast 24'x24' concrete tiles were placed between filming days. I hope to catch the LR 11350s in action sometime soon. Please let me know if you see anything else of note or items to focus on next.