The two companies plan to combine the research capabilities of Applied's EPIC (Equipment and Process Innovation and Commercialization) Center located in Silicon Valley and Intel's R&D campus in Hillsboro, Oregon, to shorten the time required from development to commercialization of advanced semiconductor technologies for AI computing.

The collaboration between the two companies spans the entire FEOL (Front-End-of-Line) and BEOL (Back-End-of-Line) processes, and includes development of advanced packaging technologies for interconnect miniaturization and Foveros-based 3D stacking.

The companies are targeting to support △improved interconnect density △enhanced power delivery efficiency △optimized thermal performance in high-performance computing platforms aimed at accelerating agentic AI workloads.

Lip-Bu Tan, Intel CEO, said, "We look forward to advancing the process from research to mass production within the United States through expanded collaboration with Applied Materials."

The EPIC Center, expected to complete operations preparation this year, is designed to reduce the time required for technology commercialization from the initial research stage through mass production.

Chip manufacturers can gain early access to Applied's R&D portfolio in a secure collaborative environment, secure faster learning cycles, and advance the mass production transition of next-generation technologies, according to Applied Materials.

Intel is participating as a founding partner of the EPIC Center.