60%
Plausible
Intel's 18A process, unveiled in a major announcement a few days ago, is now generating significant interest from Big Tech, according to a report, with Microsoft moving toward integrating the process.
Intel's 18A Process Is An 'Internally-Focused' Product, But It Seems Like Customer Attention is Mounting Up
One of the most crucial aspects anticipated is how the industry is perceiving Intel's 18A node, and the reception so far seems to be quite positive. Before we dive into reports around external adoption, there's an important point to discuss. The 18A process, in general, is targeted for internal use, with products such as Panther Lake and Clearwater Forest. Intel itself is betting on 14A to gain market attention, so the rumors surrounding 18A adoption by Big Tech should be taken with a grain of salt.
According to a report by SemiAccurate and based on our observations over the years, it appears that Microsoft is shaping up to be a crucial 18A customer, with sampling of the node having been ongoing since the Gelsinger era. It is claimed that Microsoft will utilize the chip process for its upcoming Maia 2 AI accelerators, and that it will feature 18A/18A-P variants, depending upon how the tech giant frames its AI chips. The report also claims that there are other customers in line as well, but Microsoft is shaping up to be a viable bet on Intel's Foundry clients.
We are in the midst of a very exciting platform shift that will fundamentally transform productivity for every individual organization and the entire industry. To achieve this vision, we need a reliable supply of the most advanced, high-performance and high-quality semiconductors. That is why we are so excited to work with Intel Foundry, and why we have chosen a chip design that we plan to produce on Intel 18A process.
- Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella commenting on 18A back in Gelsinger-era
Microsoft was known to be a primary adopter of the 18A process, so the report shared by SemiAccurate doesn't mention any new information, apart from the fact that the chip will be utilized by the Maia 2 platform, which is still uncertain. In terms of interest from other tech giants, if we look at the track record of rumors of 18A and external adoption, here are the following clients that are claimed to be looking at Intel's most cutting-edge chip platform:
The above list of potential clients isn't information that is 'exclusive'; instead, these rumored partnerships are listed here by looking at how 18A has shaped up over the years. More importantly, Broadcom was reported to have been extensively examining 18A PDKs, but a report claimed that the firm had dropped the pursuit, as it wasn't satisfied with the process's yield rates. However, with 18A reaching its lowest-ever defect density, Broadcom and other potential clients may reconsider their decision to move towards the IFS.
It would be interesting to see how customers react to the 18A node, since external adoption is what the IFS actually needs here, since this would lead to the firm expanding capacity and paving the way for a more capable 14A node.
About the author: Muhammad Zuhair is a hardware and technology reporter for Wccftech, specializing in the semiconductor industry and the complex interplay between technology, manufacturing, and geopolitics. His coverage focuses on the corporate strategies and technological roadmaps of industry giants like TSMC, NVIDIA, Samsung, and Intel. Zuhair's expertise lies in deconstructing complex topics such as fabrication nodes (e.g., 2nm process), the economic impact of policies like the CHIPS Act, and the strategic development of AI infrastructure from NVIDIA, AMD and Intel.
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