“Intel’s business continues to grow and investment in manufacturing capacity and R&D ensures the pace of Moore’s Law continues to march on, fuelling technology innovations,” said CEO Brian Krzanich.
Intel said in 2011 that it would invest more than $5billion to build Fab 42, and noted that, when finished, it would be the ‘most advanced, high volume semiconductor facility’. It was expected to be completed in 2013, at which point it would have made 14nm devices on 300mm wafers.
However, in 2014, slumping demand for PCs saw the investment in Fab 42 deferred, with the money used to upgrade other Intel facilities. A spokesman said at the time that ‘Fab 42 will be used for future technologies at a future date’.
When completed in 'three to four years', Fab 42 is likely to employ 3000 people directly, Intel claims, and to support a further 7000 indirect jobs.
