Intel 18A-P enters risk production as Intel shares process updates

Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) announced at the 2026 VLSI Symposium that its Intel 18A-P process node has entered risk production, meeting a timeline the company previously communicated to customers and partners.

Intel 18A-P is described as the first performance enhancement to the Intel 18A family. According to the company, the node delivers 9% higher performance at the same power level, or 18% lower power at the same performance level, compared to Intel 18A. The node also offers 20-40% improved thermal resistance and 10-30% improved via resistance through materials and design optimizations.

Intel Foundry introduced a feature called Power Boost, a dual-contact, low-resistance transistor option aimed at increasing drive current and frequency. Intel 18A-P is described as fully design rule compatible with Intel 18A, allowing reuse of existing intellectual property and design flows.

At the symposium, Intel Foundry Vice President and Fellow Eric Karl presented data on backside power delivery and gate-all-around transistors, citing an 11% routed area reduction and a 10x dynamic voltage droop reduction. The company said these translate to up to 6% frequency improvement or greater than 15% dynamic power reduction compared to a frontside interconnect technology.

Intel also shared longer-range research at the event. The company demonstrated monolithic CFET inverters with vertically stacked transistors at a 45nm gate pitch, which it says represents a path beyond gate-all-around scaling. Additionally, Intel presented 300mm monolithic integration of gallium nitride power devices with silicon logic on a single process, and demonstrated subtractive ruthenium interconnects with airgap integration, claiming up to approximately 35% capacitance reduction versus copper.

"Our updates and presentations at VLSI signal to Intel Foundry customers and partners that we are fully committed to leading edge process innovation over the long term," said Naga Chandrasekaran, executive vice president and general manager of Intel Foundry.

The information above is based on a press release statement from Intel Corporation.

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