Intel achieves milestones with advancement of Intel 18A process node

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Intel achieves milestones with advancement of Intel 18A process node

Intel achieves milestones with advancement of Intel 18A process node

Industry News
Aug 12,24

Intel also disclosed that its first external foundry customer is expected to tape out on the 18A node in the first half of 2025, a crucial step for the company's expanding foundry business.

Intel achieves milestones with advancement of Intel 18A process node

Intel has marked significant progress in its efforts to reclaim leadership in semiconductor manufacturing with the advancement of its Intel 18A process node. The company has announced that its lead products, Panther Lake and Clearwater Forest, have successfully powered on and booted operating systems. This achievement, realised less than two quarters after tape-out, positions both products for production in 2025.

Intel also disclosed that its first external foundry customer is expected to tape out on the 18A node in the first half of 2025, a crucial step for the company's expanding foundry business.

"We are at the forefront of developing multiple systems foundry technologies for the AI era, delivering a comprehensive suite of innovations essential for the next generation of products for Intel and our foundry customers," said Kevin O’Buckley, Intel Senior Vice President and General Manager, Foundry Services. "Our progress is promising, and we are working closely with customers to launch Intel 18A in 2025."

The Intel 18A node introduces cutting-edge technologies such as RibbonFET gate-all-around transistors and PowerVia backside power delivery:

- RibbonFET: Enhances control over current flow in transistors, allowing for smaller chip components and reduced power leakage.

- PowerVia: Improves power delivery by separating it from the front side of the wafer, decreasing resistance and boosting efficiency.

Intel highlights that these innovations make the 18A node the first to implement both RibbonFET and PowerVia for foundry customers.

Panther Lake, designed for AI-driven PCs, and Clearwater Forest, a server processor, are demonstrating the potential of the 18A node. The successful booting of operating systems on these chips without modifications indicates the maturity of the technology.

Clearwater Forest is set to be the industry's first high-performance chip mass-produced with RibbonFET, PowerVia, and Foveros Direct 3D packaging technology, offering improved density and power handling.

"Clearwater Forest, launching next year, will be a milestone for future CPUs and AI chips, integrating RibbonFET, PowerVia, and Foveros Direct 3D technology for superior density and power management," Intel noted.

EDA and IP companies are updating their tools to support Intel 18A, enabling external customers to design chips using this advanced process node.

“Cadence’s partnership with Intel Foundry accelerates innovation for our mutual customers by providing access to EDA solutions and IP optimized for Intel 18A,” said Tom Beckley, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Custom IC & PCB Group, Cadence. “We are excited to support customers with their cutting-edge designs on 18A.”

Shankar Krishnamoorthy, General Manager- EDA Group, Synopsys, added, “It’s impressive to see Intel Foundry reaching these crucial milestones. With 18A now ready for customers, Intel Foundry is aligning the necessary components for designing next-generation AI solutions. We are proud to collaborate with Intel to enable Synopsys’ leading EDA and IP solutions.”

(Business Today)