Making computer chips is ferociously expensive. Some manufacturing tools cost hundreds of millions of dollars apiece. A leading-edge factory runs $10 billion, or more.

Faced with such daunting numbers, and declining sales, Intel laid off 15,000 workers in July and warned it might get out of advanced manufacturing altogether . As soon as next year, the company suggested it might stop its most sophisticated research and outsource top-end chips to its rivals.

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