NVIDIA and Broadcom are reportedly testing out the Intel 18A process for adoption, signaling a massive breakthrough for Intel Foundry.
Major US Tech Firms Are Now Showing Interest In Intel's 18A Process; However, Production For Third-Party Clients Is Pushed To Mid-2026
Well, it seems like the chip industry has set its sights on the 18A node, as multiple mainstream clients have started to show interest in the process, showing that, for now, Team Blue has control over the semiconductor bandwagon. In a new report by Reuters, it is claimed that NVIDIA and Broadcom, two of the industry's biggest names, are running manufacturing tests with Intel for the 18A process, which means that the IFS could potentially bag in "hundreds of millions of dollars" in manufacturing contracts if all goes right for them.
Interestingly, it is claimed that AMD is also involved in the race to integrate 18A; however, it is uncertain whether the firm has been participating in the testing phase. The important point to note here is that these initial tests will determine whether 18A is suitable for adoption; hence, it is vital for Intel here to meet industry standards, since both NVIDIA and Broadcom are mainstream companies that don't compromise on the quality of their end products.
You might wonder how Intel suddenly got the market's attention, and while Team Blue has little part to play, the major credit goes to the Trump administration. They are in constant pursuit of reviving the US semiconductor industry, and given that Intel is the most prominent US firm in this segment, it is evident that the current government would want the firm to thrive, which is why all the attention is around Intel and its foundry division. However, not everything is positive, and that's what we'll discuss next.
Reuters says that Intel's 18A process is "delayed" to mid-2026 for small to mid-sized manufacturing customers since Team Blue needs time to qualify IP for the node, which means that they need it to be on par with industry standards. However, 18A is expected to showcase its prowess with Intel's upcoming Panther Lake SoCs, which are set to debut somewhere in H2 2025; however, the process won't be sourced out to external clients, at least in this year, which is certainly something to consider, especially since TSMC will already be in the markets with its 2nm products in the timeline.
It will surely be interesting to see how the situation turns out for Intel Foundry. Given that firms like NVIDIA are showing interest in the division, this will certainly fuel industry adoption. Yet again, the key moment lies in how Intel's process turns out on complete chip designs since that is where many firms tumble.
