The development of the Intel 18A process node progress at a good paceaccording to a Keybanc Capital Markets research note, in which he assures that he has surpassed Samsung’s SF2 in performance and is approaching the leader of the semiconductor production sector, the N2 of TSMC.
Intel is going through the worst moment in its history, in a ‘journey through the desert’ that began with the transition fiasco to the technological manufacturing processes of 10 nanometers. And it is that these chips production technologies They are key For any manufacturer and essential for an Intel who wants to open a new path like Foundry, manufacturing chips under all architectures and all manufacturers.
Last month bad news came with the dismissal of up to 20% of the Intel Foundry Division template, in a decision that was argued as «Taking difficult, but essential to face our challenges of affordability and the current financial situation of the company». News come that points to technological improvements, which although they are not confirmed They inspire some more optimism.
Intel 18A, key to recovery
According to Keybanc Capital Markets, the Intel 18A node not only advances rapidly in the development stage, but also has a better performance index than the 2 Nm SF2 process of Samsung, although it is still behind the N2 of TSMC.
«We continue to receive CONSTRUCTION COMMENTS ON INTEL process 18A And we know that current performance rates have improved up to 55 %, compared to 50 % of the previous quarter ». The same analysts estimate that Samsung’s performance remains around 40 %, while TSMC is comfortably ahead with 65 %.
For a node that must mainly boost internal projects such as the next series ‘Panther Lake’, this constant increase in performance is more than a simple figure. Intel needs these chips to be reliable If you want to offer something that remotely approaches what is promised. Keybanc estimates that the mass production of the 18A silicon is still underway for next -generation mobile CPUs until the end of the year, with performance objectives that reach 70% percent in the fourth quarter of 2025.
“While Intel is not expected to exceed TSMC in performance rates, having a capable node would be enough for the company”Add the note. In spite of the catastrophic rumors about the 18th, the fact that Intel can at least work internally seems sufficient for analysts to consider it a victory with margin of error.
Intel plans to consolidate first in the avant -garde segment with 18A for its new generations of processors and then migrate to external customers with 14a. This decision would allow them to have a much more reliable product in the market and potentially compete with TSMC, The first World Foundrie and the mirror to be followed by all semiconductor manufacturers.
