Core Viewpoint - TSMC is in discussions with major semiconductor companies like NVIDIA, AMD, and Broadcom to explore the possibility of jointly investing in a venture to operate Intel's foundry business, which has led to a significant increase in Intel's stock price by over 10% in after-hours trading [2]. Group 1 - TSMC will manage Intel's foundry operations but will not hold more than 50% ownership to comply with U.S. government regulations on foreign ownership [2]. - The negotiations focus on Intel's 18A technology, which Intel claims is superior to TSMC's 2nm process, with NVIDIA and Broadcom already testing the 18A process and AMD evaluating its applicability [2]. - The discussions involve complex technical and strategic challenges, including intellectual property protection and process differences, with TSMC requiring potential investors to also be customers of Intel's advanced processes to create synergies [2]. Group 2 - Qualcomm has withdrawn from earlier discussions to acquire a stake in Intel, while Intel's board members support the deal, although some executives are firmly opposed [2]. - Intel has rejected discussions about separating its chip design department from its foundry department for sale [2].