Intel has been developing for a long time 18A in the production process When he increased the efficiency rate, Nova Lake made a significant change in its plan. Supply chain sources state that the company will give 80 to 90 percent of its compute tile production to Intel Foundry factories. Thus, most of the orders planned for TSMC’s N2 line will shift to Intel’s own facilities. Intel has not yet confirmed the 90 percent rate with an official statement.
At the center of this development Intel 18A manufacturing technology and the increase in efficiency achieved in mass production. Industry sources suggest that production efficiency has increased from around 65 percent to closer to 85 percent. So Intel has the opportunity to squeeze more usable processors out of each wafer of silicon. Higher efficiency makes it easier to control production cost and meet high-volume orders on time.
18A name used by Intel, approx. 1.8 nanometer class It refers to production technology. However, today the names of production nodes do not directly indicate a single physical measurement in transistors. Instead, the nomenclature in question defines the production methods and technical innovations used in the same generation. In this process, Intel combines RibbonFET transistors with PowerVia power distribution technology.
RibbonFET is the name given by Intel to the transistor design known as gate-all-around. This design controls electrical current more precisely than previous FinFET transistors. Thus, Intel aims to achieve higher transistor density while reducing leakage current. In addition, processors operating at low power levels can offer higher performance within the same energy limit.
Intel is shifting most of its Nova Lake production to its own factories
PowerVia, on the other hand, moves the power connections of the processor to the back of the silicon. Traditional manufacturing methods combine power and data connections on the same face of transistors. In contrast, PowerVia leaves the front-end connection area largely to data signals. This method reduces the resistance in power distribution and makes signal paths shorter.
Intel will launch the first major consumer product of the 18A process, codenamed Panther Lake. Intel Core Ultra Series 3 It launched its processors at the beginning of 2026. According to the information shared by the company, high-end models have up to 16 CPU cores. In addition, these processors carry 12 Xe graphics cores and 50 TOPS capacity NPU. Mass production of Panther Lake indicates that Intel is beginning to use the 18A process in high-volume products.
Nova Lake, on the other hand, targets high-performance desktop computers in Intel’s client processor roadmap. Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan announced in July 2025 that they wanted to close the gaps in the high-end desktop segment. Therefore, the company planned to devote more resources to Nova Lake development. Intel has not yet shared the full specifications and release schedule of its processor family.
In addition, Nova Lake will bring together multiple chips from different production processes in a single package. Production change in supply chain news is main rather than entire processor compute tile focuses on. This part carries the core CPU cores and computing resources of the processor. Graphics, input-output and auxiliary chips may come from different processes and different factories.
Intel had previously given a significant portion of its Nova Lake compute tile orders to TSMC. N2 production line He was considering giving. However, the increase in 18A yield allows the company to transfer these orders to its own factories. Sources state that Intel Foundry’s share may vary between 80 percent and 90 percent. TSMC’s share may be limited to the remaining production volume or other chips in the processor package.
Nova Lake orders will enable Intel Foundry factories to achieve higher capacity utilization on advanced production lines. In addition, Intel will be able to manage the processor design and production process more closely under the same company. Design teams will be able to respond more quickly to problems that arise during production, together with factory teams. In this way, the company will be able to develop product design and production settings within the same schedule.
For Intel Foundry, Nova Lake isn’t just an in-house processor order. Intel will produce its own high-performance processors on the 18A line and offer a concrete production example to external customers. Companies designing chips evaluate production efficiency, delivery dates and costs together. Additionally, the maturity of design tools and advanced packaging options play a direct role in factory selection.
Intel in June 2026 18A-P production process He also announced that he switched to risk production. According to the figures provided by the company, 18A-P offers 9 percent higher performance at the same power level. Alternatively, it provides 18 percent lower power consumption at the same performance level. Intel largely maintains the design rules to make existing 18A designs easier to transfer to the 18A-P process.
This compatibility makes it easier for customers to reuse existing intellectual property blocks and design flows. Thus, companies do not have to design all components from scratch when switching to a new production process. Intel also extends the lifespan of the production process by using the 18A and 18A-P lines consecutively. The company plans to offer two production options according to different performance and energy needs.
Shifting Nova Lake production to Intel factories could reduce the impact of the capacity crunch at external manufacturers. Additionally, Intel may become less dependent on TSMC price changes and delivery schedules. The company may still continue to receive services from external factories for some parts in the processor package. The split processor design provides the opportunity to distribute production tasks among different facilities according to needs.
Intel’s main production goal will be to maintain the efficiency, which is claimed to be close to 85 percent, throughout mass production. The company also needs to reach the high clock speeds and power limits required for desktop processors. The production cost will also directly affect Nova Lake’s sales price and competitiveness in the market. Intel can use TSMC as a manufacturing backup when additional capacity is needed due to increased demand.
Intel plans to transfer 80 to 90 percent of Nova Lake compute tile production to 18A factories. Panther Lake represents the first high-volume use of the 18A process in consumer computers. Nova Lake will use this process in high-performance desktop processors. Intel has not yet shared with the public the exact production rates and the share it will leave to TSMC.
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