Intel’s 18A node has hit “risk production,” signaling that volume manufacturing is being stress-tested before a large-scale ramp-up in the second half of 2025. This milestone is crucial for Intel’s Foundry service and the upcoming Core Ultra 300 “Panther Lake” processor series, slated for production later this year.
The “Panther Lake” client chips, built on the 18A node, are projected to launch in 2026, according to presentation material displayed at Intel’s Vision 2025 conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. This two-day event provided updates on Intel’s progress and future plans.
Intel’s social media account highlighted the achievement, emphasizing that risk production is the final phase before high-volume manufacturing. This progress is vital for meeting production demands at scale.
Kevin O’Buckley, Senior VP of Foundry Services, clarified that “risk production” signifies the technology has been validated by customers as suitable for their products. The focus now shifts to scaling manufacturing to produce thousands, and eventually hundreds of thousands, of units.
The 18A node’s progression is part of Intel’s “five nodes in four years” (5N4Y) plan, initiated in mid-2021 under Pat Gelsinger. The plan aims to finalize process nodes to be fully available for production, rather than remain in a pre-HVM phase.
