Intel Abandons Tower Acquisition, Shifts Focus to Leading-Edge Nodes
Intel has called off its $5.4 billion deal to acquire Tower Semiconductor due to a lack of regulatory approval from China. Instead, Intel will pay a $353 million break-up fee. This decision will force Intel to focus its Intel Foundry Services (IFS) division solely on leading-edge process technologies. Without Tower, IFS will need to compete directly with TSMC and Samsung Foundry using only a few nodes. Despite the challenges, Intel remains committed to becoming the world's second-largest foundry by 2030. The success of IFS will rely on pillars such as Intel's 16, 20A, 18A, and Intel 3 process technologies, as well as its advanced packaging capabilities.