Intel and Arm Partner to Enhance Mobile IP on 18A Fabrication Technology
Intel Foundry Services (IFS) and Arm have revealed a groundbreaking collaboration to optimize Arm’s mobile IP using Intel’s cutting-edge 18A fabrication technology (1.8nm-class). This partnership aims to provide clients with benefits such as improved performance, reduced power consumption, and optimized die sizes for their upcoming system-on-chip (SoC) designs.
Collaboration Focus Mobile SoCs and Expansion into Other Applications
Initially, the partnership will concentrate on mobile SoC designs. However, Arm and IFS plan to extend their joint efforts into other areas, including automotive, aerospace, data center, Internet of Things (IoT), and government applications. Both companies will collaborate on design technology co-optimization (DTCO) and system technology co-optimization (STCO), fine-tuning transistor design, libraries, standard cells, chip layout, and interconnects.
Intel’s 18A Process Innovations RibbonFET and PowerVia
Intel’s 18A fabrication process features innovative aspects, such as gate-all-around (GAA) transistors called RibbonFET. These transistors have horizontally-oriented channels completely enclosed by gates, enabling designers to adjust transistor channels’ width for enhanced performance and power consumption. This level of control can reduce transistor leakage current and performance variability, providing numerous DTCO and STCO opportunities. Another advantage of Intel’s 18A process is the backside power delivery network (PDN) called PowerVia, allowing for customization of the PDN for specific designs and process technologies.
Localized Manufacturing and Market Expansion
Intel’s 18A process technology will be employed in various IFS facilities worldwide, providing fabless chip designers with localized chip production benefits. Localization of manufacturing helps address concerns about global trade uncertainties and supply chain disruptions. Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger and Arm CEO Rene Haas both expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration, emphasizing the importance of innovation as the demands for compute and efficiency grow increasingly complex.
A Milestone in the Semiconductor Industry
The collaboration between Intel Foundry Services and Arm represents a significant milestone in the semiconductor industry, as two industry giants come together to push the boundaries of performance, power efficiency, and innovation in the rapidly evolving technology landscape.
