Intel appoints Seok-Hee Lee as EVP of foundry packaging
In brief
- Seok-Hee Lee joins Intel as executive vice president of foundry, reporting to CEO Lip-Bu Tan.
- Lee oversees advanced packaging, system integration, and back-end manufacturing operations.
- Intel develops EMIB and HBI technologies to connect chiplets for AI and high-performance computing.
- Lee previously worked at Intel (2000–2010) and led SK hynix after acquiring Intel's NAND business.
A veteran returns
Lee's track record inside and outside Intel positions him to lead a critical shift in how the company packages and integrates chips. During his first tenure from 2000 to 2010, Lee worked on process integration across technology nodes ranging from 130-nm to 32-nm, earning three Intel Achievement Awards for that work. After departing Intel, he served as president and CEO of both SK On and SK hynix, where he played a central role in acquiring Intel's own NAND business in 2020.
That combination of process expertise and recent semiconductor M&A experience makes him a natural fit for a role that Intel is treating as a standalone business unit, not just an internal department.
Packaging at the center
Intel is developing two core packaging technologies that will define its competitive posture in the coming years. EMIB, or Embedded Multi-die Interconnect Bridge, connects chiplets side-by-side using a small silicon bridge embedded in the package substrate. HBI, or Hybrid Bonding Interconnect, stacks chips vertically with extremely dense connections between layers.
Both technologies are critical for the kinds of chips that power AI workloads and high-performance computing. The ability to connect chiplets efficiently and densely is no longer a nice-to-have—it's become a competitive necessity as single-die scaling hits physical limits.
Why it matters
By establishing advanced packaging as a dedicated business within Intel Foundry, the company is essentially saying: this is too important to be a department. It needs to be a business. That structural signal, combined with Lee's appointment, underscores Intel's bet that packaging innovation will be as important as process technology in winning foundry customers in the AI era.
Lee's return also reflects a broader industry trend: semiconductor talent flows where the strategic action is. His move from SK hynix back to Intel signals where he sees the next frontier of competitive advantage.
