Intel at risk of failure with 18A process

According to TechSpot , a report on the current yield of the 18A process is below 10%, meaning that nearly 9 out of 10 chips produced are defective. This is a major hurdle for Intel, especially since the company has canceled the 20A (2nm) process and shifted all its resources to the 18A (1.8nm) process. If this situation does not improve, the 18A process may not be commercially viable.

The challenge of achieving high transistor density at advanced technologies is a common problem across the semiconductor industry. Even Samsung, with its Gate-All-Around (GAA) technology below 3nm, is struggling with yields below 50%, sometimes as low as 10-20%.

Intel 18A is the most advanced process node of Intel Foundry's chip manufacturing business expected to be in mass production in 2025

In addition to yield, Intel also faces a lag in SRAM density compared to rival TSMC. According to the ISSCC 2025 Advance program, TSMC has achieved a high SRAM bit density of 38 Mb/mm² on the N2 (2nm) process, with an SRAM cell size of only 0.0175 μm². Meanwhile, Intel's 18A process only achieved a density of 31.8 Mb/mm² with a cell size of 0.021 μm² - equivalent to TSMC's previous N3E and N5 processes.

Increasing SRAM density is vital as chip designs demand ever-larger memory capacities. GAA technology, which can control the electrical channel from all sides, is key to achieving higher densities than traditional finFET technology. While both Intel and TSMC use GAA, TSMC has made more efficient use of the technology with its N2 process.

Still, Intel has time to refine the 18A process before it enters mass production in 2025. The process is expected to be used in key products like Clearwater Forest server chips, Panther Lake mobile CPUs, and custom AI silicon.

If Intel can improve yields above 60% in the coming months, the 18A process still has a chance to become the basis for next-generation products. However, given the current challenges, the journey to achieve this goal will not be easy.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/intel-co-nguy-co-that-bai-voi-quy-trinh-18a-185241207002823811.htm