Applied Materials and Intel have joined hands to speed commercialization of AI semiconductor manufacturing technologies. Applied Materials said on Tuesday it had agreed with Intel to accelerate development of next-generation transistor, interconnect and advanced packaging technologies. The companies plan to link Applied’s EPIC (Equipment and Process Innovation and Commercialization) Center in Silicon Valley with Intel’s R&D campus in Hillsboro, Oregon, to shorten the time from development to commercialization.

The cooperation covers next-generation materials, process technologies and device structures for advanced logic nodes used for AI computing workloads. The development scope spans FEOL (Front-End-of-Line), the front-end process for making transistors, and BEOL (Back-End-of-Line), the back-end process for forming interconnects. It also includes interconnect scaling. Development of advanced packaging based on Intel’s 3D stacking packaging technology, Foveros, is also included.

The goal of the cooperation is to improve performance of high-performance computing platforms that handle agentic AI workloads. Specific tasks include increasing interconnect density and improving power delivery and thermal performance. Applied Materials said it plans to complete preparations to bring the EPIC Center into operation within this year. The company said the center is designed to reduce the time from early-stage research to high-volume manufacturing.

At the EPIC Center, chipmakers can access Applied’s R&D portfolio in a secure environment. The company said this can shorten learning cycles and bring forward the transition of next-generation technologies to volume production. Through joint innovation programs, Applied can identify market trends across multiple process nodes, set the direction of its R&D investments and raise productivity. Intel is a founding partner of the center.

Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan (립부 탄) said, "Demand for AI computing is requiring major advances in performance, power efficiency and packaging. Intel is focused on working closely with partners across the ecosystem to deliver these innovations." He said Applied Materials is an important partner and he hopes expanded cooperation at the EPIC Center can accelerate the process from U.S.-based research to mass production.

Applied Materials Chairman and CEO Gary Dickerson (게리 디커슨) said, "Applied and Intel have worked closely together for decades, focusing on pushing the limits of materials engineering to advance semiconductor roadmaps." He said having teams from both companies together at the EPIC Center will further strengthen the partnership and accelerate transistor, interconnect and packaging innovations that will lead the future of AI computing.