[News] Intel Reportedly Reconsiders 18A for External Use, Hinting EMIB Could Generate Billions by 2H26

Intel is reportedly reconsidering its strategy for the 18A node. According to Reuters, Intel Chief Financial Officer David Zinsner said CEO Lip-Bu Tan is beginning to view the company’s 18A manufacturing technology as a potential offering for external customers, after it was largely positioned for internal use last year.

Zinsner said that while Tan initially believed Intel should position 14A as its primary foundry node and keep 18A mainly for internal use, the CEO now sees meaningful progress in the technology and is beginning to consider offering the node to external customers as well.

Wccftech adds that Zinsner also highlighted growing interest in 18A-P, suggesting external commitments could come sooner than expected. According to the report, the 18A-P variant allows customers to fine-tune designs based on power targets. Wccftech notes that Apple could be a potential adopter, potentially using the process for future M-series SoCs.

The shift toward external customers has also renewed scrutiny over 18A yields. As Reuters previously noted, only a small portion of chips produced using 18A have been of sufficient quality for delivery to customers. Intel has said yields are improving month by month, which is critical since weak yields can also pressure margins, Reuters adds.

Intel Reaffirms 14A Roadmap; EMIB Advanced Packaging Draws Customer Interest

Beyond 18A, Zinsner also discussed plans for Intel’s more advanced 14A node. According to Wccftech, while market rumors suggest the process could face delays and potentially slip to 2028 for production, Intel’s CFO reiterated that the company remains aligned with its original roadmap. Under the current plan, 14A is expected to enter risk production in 2027, with volume production targeted for 2029.

In addition, advanced packaging could become another major revenue driver for Intel. According to Investing.com, the company’s CFO said customer adoption of its EMIB technology could generate billions of dollars in revenue, potentially beginning as early as the second half of this year. Investing.com notes that Zinsner said the company is seeing strong customer engagement in this business and is close to finalizing several deals worth billions of dollars annually. Notably, according to ZDNet, market rumors suggest NVIDIA may use Intel’s EMIB technology to produce its next-generation GPU, “Feynman.”

Despite its confident messaging around advanced nodes and packaging technologies, Intel has recently faced scrutiny. According to Reuters, a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers has raised national security concerns over Intel’s testing of chipmaking equipment from ACM Research. The report notes that the semiconductor equipment maker has deep ties to China, and two of its overseas subsidiaries have been targeted by U.S. sanctions. Still, as Reuters adds, Intel said in a statement that “ACM tools are not used in Intel’s semiconductor production processes.”

Read more

• [News] Intel Unveils Xeon 6+ Clearwater Forest at MWC with 18A Chiplet Design and Foveros Direct 3D
• [News] EMIB Challenges Test Intel amid Buzz of NVIDIA Considering 14A/18A and Advanced Packaging

(Photo credit: Intel)