Intel 18A is ready for customer projects
Explore our technology brief and highlights below to learn more about the Intel 18A family's groundbreaking innovations, industry advantages and use case details.
Intel 18A
- Delivers up to 18% higher performance at iso power, 38% lower power at iso performance, and 30% chip density improvement versus Intel 3.1
- Enables stronger voltage‑to‑frequency scaling, with production silicon demonstrating approximately 30% higher CPU frequency at ~0.5 V versus FinFET designs.2
- PowerVia reduces worst‑case dynamic voltage droop by as much as 10x while enabling up to 11% block‑level area compaction in routed designs.3
- RibbonFET improves electrostatic control and drive scalability, enabling higher performance per watt, lower Vmin, and more efficient scaling across operating conditions.
- Omni MIM capacitors improve power integrity and reduce voltage droop for modern compute workloads.
- In high-volume production in the United States.
Intel 18A-P
- Builds on Intel 18A with targeted enhancements, delivering over 9% higher performance at iso power or more than 18% lower power at iso performance through coordinated transistor, interconnect, and DTCO improvements.4
- Improved transistor efficiency and reduced resistance deliver approximately 12% higher front end frequency at iso leakage, enabling higher performance within the same power envelope.3
- Introduces new RibbonFET device options with mobility enhancements, including Power Boost dual contact transistors delivering over 10% frequency improvement at matched capacitance-neutral scaling.3
- Improves scaling efficiency with 20-40%2 lower thermal resistivity and 10-30% lower via resistance, enabling sustained performance in power dense designs.3
- Expands flexibility with additional logic Vt options and 33% tighter skew corners, enabling finer PPA tuning.3
- Reduces variation with capacitance-neutral scaling, enabling predictable performance gains.
Intel 18A-PT
- Industry first base die with backside power delivery, purpose built for advanced 3DIC designs and based on Intel 18A technology.
- 3D integration capabilities, with pass-through through-silicon vias (TSVs), die-to-die TSVs, and advanced hybrid bonding interface (HBI) at industry-leading pitch for scalable multi-die system design.
- Delivers up to 25% higher density and up to 35% lower power versus Intel 3-T.5
- High bandwidth scaling, with up to 9x die-to-die bandwidth density, supporting next-generation AI and HPC workloads.4
PowerVia
As transistor density increases, mixed signal and power routing create congestion that can degrade performance. Intel Foundry’s industry-first PowerVia technology relocates course pitch metals and bumps to the back side of the die and embeds nano-scale through-silicon vias (nano-TSVs) in every standard cell for efficient power distribution.
RibbonFET
RibbonFET is Intel Foundry's gate-all-around transistor architecture, in which the channel is fully surrounded by the gate to enable precise electrostatic control. This structure improves control of short-channel effects and supports continued transistor scaling beyond FinFET, while enabling flexible optimization through varying ribbon widths and multiple threshold voltage options.
Applications & Use Cases
HPC & AI
For applications that require the highest levels of performance with high power efficiency, RibbonFET’s superior channel control provides improved transistor performance per watt with high drive current and scaling.
Image Signal Processing, Video, & Vision with AI
PowerVia can have a significant impact on product design in industrial applications, where its reduced IR drop, improved signal routing, and better front-side cell utilization contribute to significant power-loss reductions. RibbonFET’s area reduction enables more functionality in smaller chips, beneficial for compact medical and industrial sensors.
Mobile & Baseband Processors
To address the unique needs of mobile applications, Intel offers an optimized Intel 18A-P process node. Our advanced manufacturing techniques help ensure consistent, reliable performance, while fine-tuned threshold voltages deliver exceptional power efficiency. This contributes to overall improvements in battery life for mobile devices.
Aerospace, Defense, & Government
New aerospace, defense, and government use cases demand increased computing power, often with strict size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) requirements. Intel 18A’s low IR drop provides the efficiency needed for power-constrained applications, while delivering enhanced performance.
Intel Foundry Accelerator Ecosystem Alliances
Enjoy comprehensive support in key areas from ecosystem partners across IP, EDA, Design Services, Cloud, USMAG, Value Chain, and Chiplet Alliances.
Intel 18A in Action
The Clearwater Forest server processor demonstrates the potential of Intel 18A in combination with Intel Foundry’s advanced packaging technologies.
More from Intel Foundry
Global Manufacturing
Intel 18A is delivered via our reliable, sustainable, secure, worldwide manufacturing network.
Advanced Packaging & Test
Intel Foundry offers cutting-edge interconnects, leadership in 2D, 2.5D, and 3D packaging, and comprehensive assembly and testing services.
Ready to design? Connect with Intel Foundry and start building the future
Intel Foundry Portal
Product and Performance Information
K. Fischer et al., “Intel 18A Platform Technology Featuring RibbonFET (GAA) and PowerVia for Advanced High-Performance Computing,” IEEE/JSAP Symposium on VLSI Technology and Circuits, June 2025.
M. Shamanna et al., "CPU Cores in GAA with Backside Power: Silicon-Validated Design Insights," IEEE/JSAP Symposium on VLSI Technology and Circuits, June 2026.
E. Karl et al., “Backside Power: Enabling Energy-Efficient Performance on Advanced Node Designs,” IEEE/JSAP Symposium on VLSI Technology and Circuits, June 2026.
A. Bowonder et al., “Intel 18A-P CMOS Technology Enhancement Featuring Advanced RibbonFET (GAA) Transistors and PowerVia for High-Performance Computing,” IEEE/JSAP Symposium on VLSI Technology and Circuits, June 2026.
Based on Intel internal analysis comparing Intel 18A-PT to Intel 3-T as of April 2025. Results may vary.