Intel to lead first phase of DoD's RAMP-C program to develop foundry ecosystem

Earlier this year, Intel announced plans to expand its manufacturing capacity, starting with an estimated USD20 billion investment to build out two new factories at its Ocotillo campus in Arizona.

Intel Foundry Services, Intel's dedicated foundry business launched earlier this year, will lead the first phase of the U.S. Department of Defense's (DoD) multi-phase Rapid Assured Microelectronics Prototypes - Commercial (RAMP-C) program to develop a domestic commercial semiconductor foundry ecosystem, the company said on Monday.

The chip giant will join forces with several industry leaders and ecosystem partners including IBM, Cadence, Synopsys and others, to support the U.S. government's needs for designing and manufacturing assured integrated circuits by establishing and demonstrating a semiconductor IP ecosystem to develop and fabricate test chips on its most advanced process technology - Intel 18A.

The RAMP-C program will enable both commercial foundry customers and the Department of Defense to take advantage of Intel's significant investments in leading-edge process technologies.

Along with our customers and ecosystem partners, including IBM, Cadence, Synopsys and others, we will help bolster the domestic semiconductor supply chain and ensure the United States maintains leadership in both R&D and advanced manufacturing. We look forward to a long-term collaboration with the U.S. government as we deliver RAMP-C program milestones.

Randhir Thakur, Intel Foundry Services president

Launched in October 2020, RAMP advances commercial leading-edge microelectronics physical “back-end” design methods with measurable security. The program was launched alongside the second phase of the Department of Defense's State-of-the-Art Heterogeneous Integration Prototype (SHIP) program, which was awarded to Intel, to develop and demonstrate a novel approach towards measurably secure, heterogeneous integration and test of advanced packaging solutions.

Earlier this year, Intel announced plans to expand its manufacturing capacity, starting with an estimated USD20 billion investment to build out two new factories at its Ocotillo campus in Arizona. Additionally, Intel and IBM announced plans for important research collaboration focused on creating next-generation logic and packaging technologies that will help unleash the potential of data and advanced computation to create immense economic value.