Intel Fabricates 18A Test Wafers in Arizona
We have another sign that Intel's 18A 1.8nm class process is making significant progress: The company is producing wafers at one of its Arizona fabs, which means fabs in both Oregon and Arizona are capable of producing chips with the 18A process. The news comes by way of @Mojo_flyin on X, who appears to have screenshotted a LinkedIn post by Intel's Pankaj Marria before it was removed. As Tom's Hardware points out, Marria's brief post appeared while news of Intel's new CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, was dominating headlines.
It doesn't appear that the Arizona fab is ramping up to mass production just yet. But the test wafers suggest that Intel is on pace, or maybe even a bit ahead of schedule, for producing 1.8nm-class chips in the middle of this year. If Intel can prove wrong the rumors about it struggling to get Panther Lake CPUs (based on the 18A process) into devices in 2025, that would be a noteworthy achievement.
'Proud to be part of the Eagle Team, leading the way in bringing Intel 18A technology to life!' Marria wrote in the LinkedIn post. 'Our team was at the forefront of running the initial lots right here in Arizona, marking a key step in advancing cutting-edge semiconductor manufacturing.'
Credit: Intel
Marria included a photo of people celebrating in front of a sign that reads: 'The Eagle Has Landed.' It's not clear why the post was removed, but it could be a timing issue. Intel was focused on Lip-Bu Tan's arrival, so the powers that be could reasonably have decided to hold off on the news of the 18A milestone.
After years of struggle and with competitors circling, Intel could be finding its footing. The 18A process stands to provide energy-efficient chips and could be big business for Intel—if customers are satisfied with the technology. Former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger famously suggested (possibly in jest) that he was betting the future of the company on 18A. Although he departed and Lip-Bu Tan now leads Intel, 18A still stands to play a major role.
Panther Lake CPUs will appear in mobile devices. They have advanced AI capabilities, LPDDR5X memory, and multiple efficiency and low-power-efficiency cores, in addition to performance cores. The focus on energy efficiency is crucial for mobile devices, but the chips should pack a punch, as well. They'll include RibbonFET gate-all-around (GAA) tech, which allows for better power efficiency and denser chips.
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