Intel announced that it has passed a critical milestone in its long-term 18A manufacturing technology, becoming the first manufacturer to implement a mass production process in the 2-nanometer class.

Intel Takes the Lead in 2nm Manufacturing Process

The company has officially begun high-volume production of Panther Lake processors at its Fab 52 facility in Arizona. This development gives Intel a significant time advantage by bringing the 18A process into mass production before rival foundries, TSMC’s N2 node and Samsung’s SF2 node, achieve a significant time advantage.

Industry analysts indicate that critical factors such as production efficiency and cost control will determine whether this time lag Intel has achieved will be sustainable. Intel has currently reduced its defect rates, but there has been no official statement yet on whether consistent results have been achieved against its power, performance, and frequency targets.

However, despite this technical milestone, it’s important to remember that the TSMC N2 process still has a higher transistor density than Intel’s 18A.

The 18A manufacturing process introduces two key technological innovations: RibbonFET and PowerVia. RibbonFET replaces the traditional FinFET structure with horizontal silicon strips, improving electrostatic control and reducing leakage.

Intel claims this technology provides up to 20% power savings and shortens switching times. PowerVia, on the other hand, simplifies signal paths by moving power delivery to the back of the chip and reduces voltage drop at high frequencies.

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