Intel says its next-generation 1.4-nanometer chip process is improving faster than planned, a rare piece of good news for the struggling chipmaker and a potential long-term threat to TSMC.

• Defects on Intel's 14A process are dropping faster than the company expected, the best showing since its highly successful 22-nanometer generation years ago.
• Outside customers are now asking how much production capacity they can get, not just to see the data — a shift in tone that matters for Intel's contract chipmaking business.
• The Trump administration is actively backing Intel to build a real rival to TSMC.
• Intel's own product teams have started designing chips on 14A, and management is meeting customers weekly.
• The caveat: faster defect improvement does not mean the chips actually yield well yet, and old and new processes can't be compared directly.

Outlook: Intel plans trial production in late 2027 and mass production in 2028, so it will be about two years before anyone knows if 14A can really win big customers away from TSMC.