Intel signs Pentagon contract enabling US government access to breakthrough microchips

Intel and the Pentagon have partnered up under the CHIPS Act to begin manufacturing advanced microchips, according to a recent press release from Intel.

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Specifically under the national security accelerator program that is funded by the CHIPS Act, Intel and Pentagon have agreed to team up to produce early test samples of advanced microchips, granting the US government access to leading chip manufacturing technologies for the first time. The advanced chips Intel and the Pentagon are developing will be part of Intel's 18A manufacturing process, the company's next-generation process node.

The 18A process node is expected to be manufacturer ready sometime in the second half of 2024, and the 20A manufacturing process expected to begin around the same time. What will the 18A chips offer? According to Intel CEO Patrick Gelsinger, 18A provides exceptional power management capabilities that is comparable to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's (TSMC) 2-nanometer technology.

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As for when the Pentagon's chips will be ready, the Department of Defense's microelectronics engineering lead, Dr. Dev Shenoy, said the Pentagon and Intel are expected to "demonstrate prototype production of Intel 18A chips in 2025."