Intel announced today in its Q2 2020 earnings release that it has now delayed the rollout of its 7nm CPUs by six months relative to its previously-planned release date. Intel's press release also says that yields for its 7nm process are now twelve months behind the company's internal targets, meaning the company isn't currently capable of producing its 7nm process in an economically viable way. The company now says its 7nm process will not debut on the market until late 2022 or early 2023.
Here's the snippet from Intel's press release:
"The company's 7nm-based CPU product timing is shifting approximately six months relative to prior expectations. The primary driver is the yield of Intel's 7nm process, which based on recent data, is now trending approximately twelve months behind the company's internal target."
On the earnings call, Intel CEO Bob Swan said the company had identified a "defect mode" in its 7nm process and has invested in "contingency plans," which Swan later defined as using third-party foundries. The company will also use external third-party foundries as a contingency plan for its
forthcoming Ponte Vecchio GPUs. Intel also says that its first 10nm desktop CPUs, Alder Lake, will arrive in the second half of 2021.