Intel unveiled the Intel 18A-P foundry node at the VLSI Symposium in Hawaii, positioning it as a refinement of Intel 18A for future server silicon. The company said it has begun risk-production on the node and plans to use it for the next-generation Xeon Diamond Rapids processor.
Intel claims 18A-P delivers a 9% increase in performance at iso-power and an 18% power reduction at iso-performance. The node is also said to improve die-level thermal resistance by 20-40% and Via resistance in performance-critical layers by 10-30%.
The gains come from physical and design-tool updates to the Intel 18A platform. Intel added new cell options across its 180HP and 160HD libraries, including W1 and W1.5 cells for low-power designs and a W3P cell with a dual contact design for higher-performance needs without exceeding the footprint of the existing W3 cell. The company also integrated a new heat-conducting material on the front side of the die and updated its EDA tools to support thermally-aware layouts.
