Intel 18A Process Node
The latest advancement in Intel Foundry process technology, featuring RibbonFET and industry-first PowerVia backside-power delivery, empowering customers to create breakthrough designs.
Intel 18A Is Now Ready
Intel 18A is now ready for customer projects with the tape outs beginning in the first half of 2025: contact us for more information.
Intel 18A Differentiation
- Up to 15% better performance per watt and 30% better chip density vs. the Intel 3 process node.1
- The earliest available sub-2nm advanced node manufactured in North America, offering a resilient supply alternative for customers.
- Industry-first PowerVia backside-power delivery technology, improving density and cell utilization by 5 to 10 percent and reducing resistive power delivery droop, resulting in up to 4 percent ISO-power performance improvement and greatly reduced inherent resistance (IR) drop vs. front-side power designs.2
- RibbonFET gate-all-around (GAA) transistor technology, enabling precise control of electrical current. RibbonFET allows further miniaturization of chip components while reducing power leakage, a critical concern for increasingly-dense chips.
- HD MIM capacitors, significantly reducing inductive power droop, enhancing stable chip operation. This capability is crucial for modern workloads like generative AI, which require sudden and intense computational power.
- Full support for industry-standard EDA tools and reference flows, enabling a smooth transition from other technology nodes. With EDA partners providing reference flows, our customers can start designing with PowerVia ahead of other backside power solutions.
- A robust assembly of more than 35 industry-leading ecosystem partners, ranging across EDA, IP, design services, cloud services, and aerospace and defense, helping ensure broad customer enablement to further ease adoption.
PowerVia
As transistor density increases, mixed signal and power routing create congestion that can degrade performance. Intel Foundry’s industry-first PowerVia technology relocates course pitch metals and bumps to the back side of the die and embeds nano-scale through-silicon vias (nano-TSVs) in every standard cell for efficient power distribution.
PowerVia improves standard cell utilization by 5-10% and ISO-power performance by up to 4%.2
RibbonFET
RibbonFET allows for tight control over the electrical current in the transistor channel, enabling further miniaturization of chip components while reducing power leakage, a critical concern as chips become increasingly dense.
RibbonFET improves performance per watt, minimum voltage (Vmin) operations, and electrostatics, delivering significant performance advantage. RibbonFET also provides high degrees of tunability through varied ribbon widths and multiple threshold voltage (Vt) types.
Applications and Use Cases
HPC & AI
For applications that require the highest levels of performance with high power efficiency, RibbonFET’s superior channel control provides improved transistor performance per watt with high drive current and scaling.
Image Signal Processing, Video, and Vision with AI
PowerVia can have a significant impact on product design in industrial applications, where its reduced IR drop, improved signal routing, and better front-side cell utilization contribute to significant power-loss reductions. RibbonFET’s area reduction enables more functionality in smaller chips, beneficial for compact medical and industrial sensors.
Mobile and Baseband Processors
To address the unique needs of mobile applications, Intel offers an optimized Intel 18A-P process node. Our advanced manufacturing techniques help ensure consistent, reliable performance while fine-tuned threshold voltages deliver exceptional power efficiency. This contributes to overall improvements in battery life for mobile devices.
Aerospace and Defense
New aerospace and defense use cases demand increased computing power, often with strict size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) requirements. Intel 18A’s low IR drop provides the efficiency needed for power-constrained applications while delivering enhanced performance.
Intel Foundry Accelerator Ecosystem Alliances
Enjoy comprehensive support in key areas from Intel Foundry Accelerator ecosystem partners across EDA, IP, Design Services, Cloud Services, and US MAG Alliances.
Intel 18A in Action
The Clearwater Forest server processor demonstrates the potential of Intel 18A in combination with Intel Foundry’s advanced packaging technologies.
More from Intel Foundry
Global Manufacturing
Intel 18A is delivered via our reliable, sustainable, secure, worldwide manufacturing network.
Advanced Packaging and Test
Intel Foundry offers cutting-edge interconnects, leadership in 2D, 2.5D, and 3D packaging, and comprehensive assembly and testing services.
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Intel Foundry Portal
Product and Performance Information
Based on Intel internal analysis comparing Intel 18A to Intel 3 as of February 2024. Results may vary.