Paul A. Clayton (paaronclayton.delete@this.gmail.com) on September 30, 2013 4:33 pm wrote:

> Could a foundry introduce a new process with requirements to use more restrictive design rules?
> It seems that the customers most interested in the newest process would tend to be willing to
> put in more design effort anyway--already paying a premium for the process--(or, perhaps like

Yes.
Foundries are have been introducing restrictive design. Ie, TSMC has them since 28 nm.

> FPGA products, have such regular structures that the extra design effort is not exceptionally
> great relative to the benefits of a new process?), and if restricted rules allows getting the
> process ready even a few months earlier then both the foundry and the customers would benefit.

Yes.
FPGAs have been the first products to tapeout on new nodes for a while.

>
> Communication (which includes trust) involves peculiar human effects, so an integrated design
> and manufacturing company like Intel may have inherent advantages even over multiple organizations
> bound with equivalent contractual obligations (i.e., even ignoring the difficulty of multiple
> organizations coming to such an agreement). However, it seems that the techniques that Intel
> uses could be applied (albeit somewhat less effectively) by a foundry.

This is an important issue.
The deployment of a process node is a iterative process.
The foundry/partners will release successive versions of the design kit (digital cell libraries, memory generators, models, rules).
Tool developers (Synopsys, Cadence, etc) also need to update their software to handle new rules and strategies.

It's not hard to imagine that Intel's vertical integration allows them to be focused on the needs of their end products and to have fast communication between the process development stages and the digital design stage.
This can save them a considerable amount of money and time to market.

I am quite convinced the advantages of vertical integrated design are more important for Intel's ability to deploy new process nodes ahead of everyone else than their high margins.