A report from Reuters confirms that Broadcom and Nvidia are still considering Intel’s 18A process, giving the foundry a shot at major contracts from outside customers. Intel’s new 1.8nm process already landed Faraday for a contract to produce 64-core Arm SoCs and caught Microsoft’s eye, among others. But with Broadcom and Nvidia engaged in manufacturing tests, 18A looks like it could have a bright future. That would be a major win for Intel and the vision of its former CEO, Pat Gelsinger.
Naturally, this news comes from unnamed sources, rather than official statements from any of the three companies involved. Foundries typically keep customer details secret, so it’s no surprise that an Intel spokesperson gave Reuters a vague statement without spilling the beans.
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard that Broadcom is interested in Intel’s 18A process. Reuters reported last fall that Broadcom was testing 18A wafers. At that time, it appeared that Broadcom was disappointed with the results and thought mass production wasn’t ready yet. Reuters wrote that the tests involving Broadcom and Nvidia “have not been reported previously,” which suggests that the current tests are different.
Former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger.
Credit: Intel
The focus this time seems to be on Intel’s process, which makes sense, given Broadcom’s earlier concerns. And the testing process can be long, so it may be quite awhile before we get word on whether the two companies decide to proceed with mass-produced chips from Intel.
Still, this looks like a good sign for Intel. With the US government planning high tariffs on semiconductors, Taiwan-based TSMC may be at some disadvantage to Intel (even with its new fab in Arizona), but only if Intel delivers on 18A’s promise. Should the 18A node prove to deliver the expected performance in chips and if Intel can ready it for mass production, Intel could regain its “chipzilla” status. Intel recently launched a site dedicated to its foundry business.
One has to wonder what Pat Gelsinger thinks of 18A’s possible success. The former Intel chief once said (possibly jokingly) that he was staking the company on 18A. He seemed to view the node as a major breakthrough for Intel, with it being at the end of his “five nodes in four years” plan. He abruptly retired from Intel last year, with rivals AMD and TSMC enjoying multiple successes.