Overview
- Intel announced Tuesday that 18A-P, a performance-optimized revision of its 18A node, has entered risk production, the low-volume stage before full mass manufacturing.
- The company says 18A-P delivers about 9% higher performance at the same power or about 18% lower power at the same performance and shows 20–40% better thermal resistance and 10–30% lower via resistance on critical layers.
- Intel says 18A-P is fully design-rule-compatible with 18A so existing IP and design flows can be reused while new transistor options (W1, W1.5, W3P) and a new VT choice (ULVTLL) give designers more tuning choices.
- The move is meant to show Intel is following through on its manufacturing roadmap and to make the node more appealing for external customers as the company tests yields and capacity in two U.S. fabs.
- Strong AI-driven demand for Intel CPUs has tightened supply and helped near-term revenue forecasts, and wider availability of 18A/18A-P could shift where advanced chips are made and who buys them.