Intel’s initial 18A wafers reportedly roll out in Arizona; early mass production likely to follow

Just as semiconductor veteran Lip-Bu Tan steps in as Intel’s CEO, Intel's 18A node seems to be making early strides. TechPowerUp, citing Intel’s engineering manager Pankaj Marria, reports that initial 18A wafers are already rolling out from the Arizona plant.

The progress, according to ijiwei and Commercial Times, implies that Intel’s 18A mass production is likely to be pulled forward to mid-year.

Intel originally planned to begin 18A tape-outs in early 2025, with mass production following in the second half of the year.

This is a win for Intel as Tan pushes his foundry-focused vision. In a letter to employees, he pledged to restore Intel as a top chipmaker and build a world-class foundry, as per Reuters.

Customers reportedly satisfied with early results
Marria’s now-unavailable LinkedIn post, cited by TechPowerUp, revealed that customers are evaluating Team Blue’s initial 18A wafer lots. He wrote, “The Eagle has landed, and this is just the beginning,” hinting at promising early results.

The TechPowerUp report explains that the current progress means Intel’s 18A node PDK (Process design kit) has reached version 1.0, with customers already testing custom chips.

According to a Reuters report in early March, chip giants such as NVIDIA and Broadcom are conducting manufacturing tests with Intel’s 18A. The report further stated that AMD is also assessing Intel’s 18A process.

In addition to securing key external clients, the success of Intel’s Panther Lake, its first major in-house product with 18A, is also crucial, as Intel plans to use its own cutting-edge facilities, like Fab 52 and Fab 62 in Arizona, to produce the compute chiplet with 18A technology, as noted by Tom’s Hardware.

-- Source: TrendForce, Taiwan