It has been claimed that Google will use Intel Foundry’s advanced packaging technology for its new generation artificial intelligence chip TPUv8e. According to the information provided by Taiwan-based Commercial Times, Google will benefit from Intel’s EMIB packaging solution in its new TPU design. This development adds to the recent important customer news for Intel Foundry. While Intel’s name is mentioned with Tesla in the 14A production process, it is now stated that Intel’s advanced packaging technology will be included in Google’s new generation TPU plans.
Google TPUv8e can be produced with Intel EMIB packaging technology. According to the information provided by Commercial Times based on supply chain sources, Google will use Intel Foundry’s EMIB, i.e. Embedded Multi-Interconnect Bridge technology, in the new generation TPUv8e artificial intelligence chip. This technology stands out as an advanced packaging solution that allows different chips to be connected to each other with high bandwidth.
Packaging technology has become as critical as the production process in artificial intelligence chips. Large-scale chips used in training and inference workloads require high processing power, large memory bandwidth, and multi-layer interconnect structures. Therefore, testing intensity and packaging complexity increase with advanced manufacturing processes. Google recently introduced the Sunfish chips, codenamed TPU8i, and Zebrafish, codenamed TPU8t.
TPU8i is designed for inference workloads and TPU8t is designed for training workloads. TSMC’s CoWoS, i.e. Chip-on-Wafer-on-Substrate packaging technology, is used in these chips. CoWoS is positioned as one of the key packaging solutions for large-scale accelerators used in many artificial intelligence infrastructures around the world today. According to current information, TSMC will increase wafer allocation for TPUv8x chips from 70 thousand to 160 thousand.
Risk production is expected to begin in May this year, once initial redesign issues have been resolved. With the new allocation, the production of 3.2 million CoWoS packaged chips comes to the agenda. GF Overseas Electronics It is reported that Google will turn to Intel’s EMIB technology for this new generation chip. Although EMIB is mentioned in the same class as 2.5D packaging solutions such as CoWoS, it is shown as a structure that enables more flexible, lower-cost and scalable designs.
It is stated that the main computing chip in the TPUv8e design will be prepared by Google. It is reported that MediaTek will take part in the I/O and back-end design side. This structure shows that Google has brought together the expertise of different companies in the same chip family in its new TPU design. On the TPUv8p side, Google is expected to move forward with Broadcom again. It is stated that in this model, the calculation, I/O and back-end design will be done by Broadcom, and the chip will be produced with TSMC’s CoWoS and SoIC packaging technologies.
Thus, it seems that Google is evaluating different packaging methods in the TPUv8 family through both TSMC and Intel Foundry. It has not been officially announced yet that Intel Foundry has come into play for Google TPUv8e. Intel has previously stated that it will not announce customer names itself and will wait for customers and products to make the announcement. Therefore, until the official announcement from Google and Intel, the information in question remains a development based on industry sources.
Google’s new generation TPUv8 chips, codenamed Humufish, are expected to reach 3.5 million units by the end of 2028. The prominent calendar for TPUv8e and TPUv8p points to the fourth quarter of 2027. According to this calendar, clearer statements about Google’s new TPU family may come towards the end of the year or at the beginning of next year. This development coincides with an important period for Intel Foundry. With the explosion of artificial intelligence, GPU, memory and advanced packaging capacity have become among the most critical topics of the global supply chain.
Intel’s EMIB technology and 14A manufacturing process are seen as the two main elements that stand out for the company to regain strong customer acquisition in the foundry business. If Google works with Intel Foundry for TPUv8e, this cooperation will strengthen Intel’s position in the advanced packaging field. At the same time, alternative production and packaging capacity will be added to the existing structure, which focuses on TSMC CoWoS in artificial intelligence chips.
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