MediaTek CEO Rick Tsai confirmed Intel's EMIB-T packaging won a second cloud ASIC project, targeting early 2028 production. The confirmation came during a July 31 earnings call with UBS analyst Sunny Lin.
Key facts
- Second cloud ASIC project confirmed for Intel EMIB-T
- Early production targeted for early 2028
- MediaTek CEO Rick Tsai confirmed on July 31 earnings call
- UBS analyst Sunny Lin raised tape-out and execution questions
- Tsai cited yield, capacity, and cycle-time challenges as ongoing
Intel's EMIB-T advanced packaging has secured a second cloud ASIC design win, with MediaTek CEO Rick Tsai confirming early production for early 2028. The confirmation came during a July 31 earnings call, where UBS analyst Sunny Lin pressed for details on tape-out schedules and execution progress According to @dnystedt.
Tsai was direct: "Yes, you can assume early 2028 for early production for second chip. And the progresses both in design, tape-out date are on track." The statement signals that Intel's EMIB-T, a variant of its embedded multi-die interconnect bridge technology designed for high-bandwidth, high-density chiplets, is moving past the evaluation phase into committed production.
The back-end bottleneck
The win is notable not just for the design but for the manufacturing realities Tsai acknowledged. "The back-end technology… is another key component of the whole complex ASIC chip. We work … probably more than closely with our supplier mainly in ensuring the yields from the subsequent vendors continue to improve very well," Tsai said. He flagged capacity, cycle time, and yield improvements as areas of active work, adding, "So far, those technologies are very challenging. We all understand that."
This is where the story diverges from a simple PR win. EMIB-T's value proposition is enabling heterogeneous integration at scale — but that value only materializes if the packaging supply chain can deliver at volume. Tsai's comments suggest the design is on track while the manufacturing ecosystem is still catching up, a gap that could define whether 2028 targets hold.
What the second win means
The second cloud ASIC project follows Intel's earlier EMIB-T engagements, and the confirmation from a major foundry customer like MediaTek gives Intel's packaging roadmap credibility against rivals like TSMC's CoWoS. The 2028 timeline aligns with Intel's stated ambition to scale advanced packaging alongside its 18A and 14A process nodes.
Lin's questioning — specifically asking whether the market should "think about Intel EMIB-T" — reflects lingering skepticism about Intel's execution in this space. Tsai's answers were calibrated to reassure without overpromising, a tone that acknowledges the technical difficulty while asserting the project is real and progressing.
For Intel, this is a revenue commitment from a top-tier ASIC partner, not just a technology demonstration. For the broader chiplet ecosystem, it is another data point that advanced packaging — not just process node — is becoming the competitive battleground for AI and cloud silicon.
What to watch
Watch for Intel's next earnings call and any disclosure of EMIB-T production capacity commitments. Also track MediaTek's tape-out milestones and whether the company announces additional ASIC wins using EMIB-T beyond the two confirmed projects.
