Intel announced that its 18A process node (1.8nm) is ready and plans to begin design finalization in the first half of this year.
The process will introduce a number of advanced semiconductor technologies. Compared with Intel's 3nm process, the 18A process can increase chip density by 30% and improve performance per watt by about 15%. Intel plans to apply the 18A process to its upcoming Panther Lake laptop processors and Clearwater Forest server CPUs, both of which are expected to be available before the end of the year.
A major breakthrough in the 18A process is the PowerVia backside power supply technology. This technology improves power supply efficiency by moving the coarse-pitch metal layer and bumps to the back of the chip and using nano-scale through-silicon vias (TSV). Intel said that this technology can improve ISO power efficiency by 4% and increase standard cell utilization by 5% to 10%.
Another key technology is RibbonFET, Intel's all-around gate transistor (GAA) design. Compared with traditional fin field-effect transistors (FinFETs), RibbonFET can more finely control the flow of current and effectively reduce power consumption and leakage, which is particularly important for high-density, miniaturized chips.
When mentioning Intel, most outsiders will think that the company has faced significant financial pressure in recent years. Intel's 2024 financial report showed a loss of US$13 billion. Due to Intel's consecutive years of losses, speculation in the market has increased that the company may split its business or sell part of its foundry business.
As the US government promotes the localization of semiconductors, the success or failure of Intel's 18A process will become an important indicator of the competitiveness of the US semiconductor industry.