As you know, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a shortage of all kinds of microcircuits. Logistics lay down, and the demand for electronics grew. Intel has done a lot in 2021 to ease the shortage of its main product – processors. An important step along this path was substrate preparation extension for processors at the company’s assembly plant in Vietnam.
Image Source: Intel
Ajinomoto build-up film (ABF) substrates are a combination of about 10 layers of glass fiber with contact groups on the bottom and top and many conductors inside. The substrates serve as the basis for the installation of the processor chip and a guarantee to protect it from damage. From below, the substrate carries a group of contacts for installation in the processor socket on the motherboard, and is covered with a heat-dissipating cover from above. Also, surface-mount capacitors are soldered on the substrate on both sides, which reduce interference and are used to stabilize the power supply of the processor.
Traditionally, Intel purchased substrates for processors with capacitors already soldered on one side. At the plant in Vietnam, where the processors are assembled and tested, the capacitors were soldered on the other side during the final assembly of the processors. But caused by the pandemic supply disruptions forced the company to independently prepare the substrates for the assembly of processors, namely, to desolder the capacitors on both sides of the substrate.
In 2021, the company purchased a hundred pieces of special equipment for a plant in Vietnam and organized the process of complete preparation of substrates for final assembly there. Since then, this enterprise has not needed intermediaries to carry out such work, and this has made it possible, even in the face of logistical problems and shortages, not only to maintain production volumes, but even to produce products in excess of the plan. According to Intel, in a little over a year, it was able to release millions of additional processor units.
“This initiative is a stunning example of how integrated manufacturing is at the core of Intel’s success. Our global network of factories and direct supplier ecosystem enable a more adaptable and sustainable product supply. Last year, when the industry was in short supply of substrates, our ability to leverage in-house capacity generated more than $2 billion in revenue growth, enabling us to quickly respond to dynamic customer demand.” Keyvan Esfarjani, executive vice president and global chief operating officer of Intel, said in a statement.
In just 15 years of operation in Vietnam, Intel has invested $1.5 billion in production. By the end of 2021, this enterprise has delivered over 3 billion processors to the market. 2,800 employees have been provided with jobs and about 4,000 more specialized jobs have been created around the factory infrastructure.
If you notice an error, select it with the mouse and press CTRL + ENTER.