Broadcom not convinced of viability Intel’s 18A process

In another potential blow to Intel’s efforts to catch up with TSMC, Broadcom is holding off on committing to Intel’s 18A manufacturing process for now, according to a Reuters report. Following a series of test runs, the potential customer concluded that the node isn’t ready for high-volume production. Broadcom says it’s still evaluating the results.

Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger recently told a technology conference that the defect density (d0) of the 18A process is now below 0.4 defects per square centimeter. A d0 of 0.5 or less is generally considered to be good enough for high-volume manufacturing. Usually, the number continues to drop as the process matures. In other words, a d0 of 0.4 signals that Intel is in decent shape. The Broadcom report would suggest otherwise, however.

Intel released the 18A process design kit (PDK) over time and says it’s working with “dozens” of potential customers, including Mediatek, Microsoft and Ericsson. Commencement of high-volume manufacturing, initially for Intel’s own products, has been scheduled to start by year-end. Supply of external customers is said to start in 2025.