Intel is a leading semiconductor company in the world, and has been working hard to improve its manufacturing technology to maintain market competitiveness. With the continuous progress of the semiconductor industry, Intel is also promoting the development of advanced manufacturing technology, including Intel 20A and Intel 18A nodes. These two nodes will continue to use extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography technology, and will introduce new technological innovations, such as RibbonFET full surround gate transistor and PowerVia back power supply technology.
EUV technology is the key technology used to produce smaller and higher performance transistors in the semiconductor industry at present. Because the wavelength is shorter, EUV lithography can achieve more fine pattern etching, which is critical to continue to increase transistor density along the path of Moore's Law. Intel's EUV technology application on 20A and 18A nodes will enable it to produce BQ24120RHLR Chip.
RibbonFET， It is the first new transistor architecture introduced by Intel since 20 years ago. It is a full surround gate transistor. Its design allows the gate to surround semiconductor channels from all sides of the transistor, rather than the traditional planar gate design. This design provides better current control, thus improving the switching speed of transistors. Such improvements are critical to improving chip performance and energy efficiency, especially in low voltage operation.
PowerVia is another innovative technology proposed by Intel, which is a solution of back power supply. In traditional chip design, the front of the chip (the side where the transistor is located) is used for power supply and signal transmission. PowerVia technology releases more front space by moving the power supply layer to the back of the chip for more complex signal routing. This design can reduce the impedance of the power supply path, thereby reducing voltage drop and power consumption, and also help improve signal integrity and performance.
Intel is expected to improve its leading position in process technology through technological innovation of 20A and 18A nodes. The 20A node is expected to be enabled in 2024, while the 18A node is expected to be enabled in 2025. Intel's goal is to regain the leading position in semiconductor process technology through these advanced process technologies, so as to maintain its competitive advantage in the fierce market competition.
These technological advances will not only keep Intel competitive in the market, but also make a significant progress for the entire semiconductor industry. With the growing demand for computing and the development of Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, 5G communication and other technologies, the demand for chips with higher performance and efficiency is growing. These innovations of Intel will help drive the whole industry towards these goals.
In a word, the promotion of Intel's Intel 20A and Intel 18A nodes shows the company's determination to maintain and develop its semiconductor manufacturing technology. By adopting EUV technology and introducing new technologies such as RibbonFET and PowerVia, Intel is expected to achieve its goal of regaining the leading position in the process by 2025. This will not only benefit Intel itself, but also play a positive role in promoting technological progress and innovation in the entire semiconductor industry.
