Intel Foundry Advances AI-Driven Autonomous Fabs with 14 Technologies Unveiled at SEMICON West

Intel Corp. (INTC) is combining AI, precision metrology, testing and automation to move chip manufacturing from conventional automated production toward fabs capable of sensing, analyzing and making autonomous decisions, the company's foundry unit said. At SEMICON West 2026, Intel Foundry presented 14 research results and technology solutions spanning advanced metrology, defect detection, AI analytics, advanced packaging, chip testing and factory automation. Lalitha Immaneni, vice president of semiconductor research, advanced packaging and manufacturing at Intel Foundry, said manufacturing is shifting from isolated optimization to interconnected intelligent systems — but true fab autonomy requires trusted measurement, interoperable platforms and advanced test infrastructure, not AI alone. Intel is moving metrology from post-hoc inspection to real-time predictive process control, extending the approach to advanced packaging as chiplet, hybrid bonding, HBM and 2.5D/3D packaging blur the line between front-end fabrication and back-end assembly. The company is also advancing its Advanced Chiplet Test service to screen known-good dies before costly packaging, and deploying AI-agent workflows for automated defect classification, with human review of final decisions. Intel said software-defined automation and industry standards — including the SATAS alliance, backed by Japan's NEDO and METI with more than 40 participating organizations — are essential to breaking vendor lock-in and data silos.