Intel

IDM and emerging external foundry; brought backside power (PowerVia) to volume with 18A as its comeback bet.

Santa Clara, CA, US · 1968 · INTC

Analysis as of Feb 3, 2026

Who's actually winning the foundry race?

by Frontier Milestones

TSMC holds ~two-thirds of the market and the yield lead; Intel is betting its comeback on 18A; Samsung trails on yield. Our read on a race where one player's dominance keeps compounding. (Our opinion, not investment advice.)

Our read — labelled opinion, not investment advice.

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Explainer Jan 20, 2026

What "2nm" really means

No part of a "2nm" chip is 2 nanometers. Node names are marketing labels, not physical measurements — so we read them alongside transistor density and who is actually shipping in volume.

Leading-Edge Chips

TSMC

Samsung Foundry

Intel

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Milestone note Nov 2025

Backside power delivery reaches volume

Reached

Intel (18A) — Intel's 18A brought PowerVia backside power to a volume node — a structural change rivals are still adopting.

Leading-Edge Chips

Intel

Analysis · 2026-01 Read