Inside Intel’s hail Mary to Reclaim Chip Dominance
Intel is betting big on its new Fab 52 facility and a radical chip design overhaul to regain its footing in the competitive semiconductor landscape.The factory, located in Ocotillo, Arizona, represents a significant investment in domestic chip manufacturing and a crucial step in Intel’s ambition to lead in the age of AI.
Entering Fab 52 is a meticulously controlled process. Workers are required to wear full-body “bunny suits” in a sterile surroundings, with strict prohibitions on makeup, hair products, perfumes, and aerosols. A unique internal hierarchy dictates attire: those working with copper wear orange suits and utilize separate clean rooms for suiting up and down, distinct from the white-suited personnel handling other materials. The facility has even hosted presidential visits, with both Barack Obama (Fab 42) and joe Biden (Fab 52, during construction) touring the grounds. Intel spokesperson Cory Pforzheimer stated the company “would eagerly welcome President Trump to see the most advanced R&D and leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing in the US,” as of late September.
Inside, the manufacturing process is largely automated. Workers primarily monitor systems from sterilized computer stations as Front-Opening Unified Pods (FOUPs) – containers holding wafers - are transported overhead by a network of robots. The floor itself has undergone multiple reinforcements to minimize vibrations that could damage the delicate chips.
The lithography section is bathed in an unusual glow, causing the white bunny suits to appear neon green and orange suits pink. Intel is protective of its supplier relationships, but did acknowledge Dutch manufacturer ASML as a key partner, with WIRED observing two operational ASML Twinscan machines and space prepared for two more.
While intel hasn’t publicly disclosed anticipated annual chip yields from Fab 52, the initial output will focus on semiconductors for consumer devices like laptops. However, the company’s long-term strategy hinges on securing a large-scale contract with a ”hyperscaler” – a major data center operator - willing to invest heavily in chips optimized for artificial intelligence.
The chips produced in Fab 52 will utilize a groundbreaking new design, abandoning decades of established techniques. Intel began advancement of this approach in 2021, centered around two key technologies: RibbonFET and PowerVia. ribbonfet represents a new transistor architecture, stacking transistors to increase density. PowerVia relocates power interconnects from above the silicon stacks to below them.
Early testing has demonstrated performance gains with RibbonFET and powervia, as reported by IEEE Spectrum. Sources indicate the resulting Panther Lake and Clearwater Forest chips are also expected to consume 30 percent less energy than previous generations, according to a Reuters report from October 7, 2025.
