Inside Intel's AI chip factory where humans are the greatest threat

Intel sent a long list of things I couldn’t wear or bring into its Hillsboro factory: no regular deodorant, lotion, hairspray, makeup, Velcro, Bluetooth, and phones only on airplane mode. That first list made clear I was entering a place governed by a very different set of rules.

The fab was enormous — bigger than an aircraft carrier — and a short walk from a gear‑cleaning room to a space holding what looked like billions of dollars in chips. We scrubbed camera equipment down to every nook and then entered a gowning room stacked with $1,000 bunny suits.

Each piece had to be put on in order, with double gloves to trap skin particles, and my regular notebook had to stay outside for a special cleanroom one that doesn’t shed. On the fab floor the light was yellow to protect the wafers.

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