Intel may already be siding out the 18A process
Even before the start of series production, Intel's next major manufacturing process is said to be in a bad way.
(Image: Christian Hirsch/heise medien)
Intel's CEO Lip-Bu Tan is said to be currently considering discontinuing the marketing of Intel's next major production process 18A. The processors planned to date are therefore being produced as planned. Apart from this, however, Intel could stop customer acquisition, writes the news agency Reuters.
Lip-Bu Tan is said to have expressed internal concerns that 18A is losing its appeal for customers. His predecessor Pat Gelsinger, on the other hand, had previously bet everything on 18A – it was to be Intel's first manufacturing process to generate high revenues from external customers.
Now there is talk that Intel could write off parts of the production technology early on. This would generate book costs of several hundred million or even billions of US dollars.
Intel already discontinued 20A in 2024 without a sound bite. At the time, the manufacturer argued that 18A was performing better than expected. Findings from 20A were to be incorporated into the finalization of 18A.
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Panther Lake & Co. still planned
Things are obviously not quite so bad for 18A. The Panther Lake aka Core Ultra 300 notebook processors are scheduled for release in early 2026. The Clearwater Forest server models are also due next year. Intel is to produce a small number of AI chips with 18A technology for Amazon and Microsoft.
However, the big run on 18A is not expected to materialize. CEO Lip-Bu Tan is considered to be well connected in the semiconductor industry – if he gets negative feedback, interest is obviously not good.
Once again, the focus could shift back a generation: 14A should really make everything better, but will not be ready for production until 2027 at the earliest. By then, further competition could emerge alongside the global market leader TSMC: Samsung's 2-nanometer production is reportedly gaining momentum.
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