Intel Foundry Modernizes Next-Gen Microelectronics for Aerospace, Defense, and Government Systems

By Tao Zhou, Senior Principal Engineer, Intel Corporation

Aerospace, defense, and government (ADG) organizations now operate across land, sea, air, space, and cyber domains interchangeably, demanding systems that interoperate seamlessly and react instantly to emerging threats. Many platforms still depend on aging microelectronics, creating a growing gap between mission requirements and technical capability — a risk to readiness and long-term resilience.

To close this gap, ADG leaders are prioritizing microelectronics as a foundation for mission superiority, requiring extreme compute density, secure communications, and artificial intelligence (AI)-ready architectures within strict size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) limits.

In our latest platform brief, learn how Intel Foundry uses advanced nodes, chiplet-based designs, and secure US manufacturing to offer a trusted modernization pathway that accelerates upgrades and strengthens supply chain resilience for mission readiness.

Intel Process Node Advantage in Constrained Environments

The Intel 18A family introduces a major architectural leap beyond FinFET technologies like Intel 16, combining RibbonFET Gate-all-around transistors and PowerVia backside power delivery to provide higher performance, better power efficiency, and greater logic density — key benefits for ADG systems operating under tight SWaP-C constraints. These Intel 18A advancements provide up to 2x performance gain at the same power, 5x power reduction at ISO performance, and 10x chip density compared to Intel 16.¹ Paired with Foveros Direct 3D packaging, the node enables ultralow latency logic-logic stacking for compute-intensive defense workloads.

In addition, Intel 18A-P enables designs that balance high-speed logic with ultralow power operation, critical for SWaP-C targets in defense systems. Looking ahead, Intel Foundry’s planned Intel 18A-PT extends these capabilities with a backside-powered base die featuring pass-through and die-to-die through-silicon vias (TSVs) along with hybrid bonding, positioning the node as a key enabler for future 3D integrated circuit (3DIC) high-performance computing (HPC) architectures.

United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) brings together Intel Foundry’s at-scale US manufacturing capacity and UMC’s extensive foundry experience on mature nodes to enable an expanded process portfolio for select applications.² The Intel and UMC 12nm process node is ideal for radio frequency (RF) transceivers, satellite systems, and cost-sensitive defense electronics.

Advanced Packaging that Meets Reliability Standards

To meet demanding SWaP-C and performance requirements, Intel Foundry offers a broad portfolio of advanced packaging technologies that integrate multiple chiplets with high bandwidth and low latency, including Embedded Multi-die Interconnect Bridge 2.5D (EMIB 2.5D), Foveros wafer-level stacking, and Foveros Direct 3D with copper-to-copper hybrid bonding interconnect (HBI). For high-performance chiplet designs, EMIB-T adds TSVs for enhanced power and signal delivery, while high-density Intel Foundry FCBGA 2D packages support the processing capability essential for real-time applications in avionics, radar, and secure communications.

Intel Foundry Advanced System Assembly & Test (ASAT) provides packaging and testing solutions tailored for strategic ADG systems, using proprietary High Density Modular Testers (HDMT) or third-party automated testing equipment (ATE), to deliver data-forward testing from individual die through final system validation.

Advanced Thermal Management Solutions

Next-generation defense systems are exceeding the limits of traditional air-cooled packaging. To meet rising performance and reliability demands in thermal management, Intel Foundry has developed high-performance integrated heat spreaders (IHS) optimized for liquid cooling. Preliminary assessments show these solutions deliver more than 3x the thermal efficacy of state-of-the-art air-cooled designs.³ As cooling technologies advance, from cold plate integration to microchannel and die backside approaches, system thermal capacity is expected to scale by several times over traditional air-cooled baselines.

Redefining Mixed-Signal Performance

A spotlight in the brief highlights how Intel 18A combines high‑speed analog capability with dense, efficient digital processing to power next‑generation direct RF‑sampling systems. Its RibbonFET and PowerVia technologies deliver high ft/fmax performance, low noise, and stable power during radar‑class bursts, while thick backside metals and rich passives support precision analog design alongside large digital signal processing (DSP) blocks. The result is faster sampling, lower latency, and strong potential for max‑power savings in demanding applications such as advanced radar and secure wideband communications.

Government, Services, and Ecosystem Support

Intel Foundry supports government semiconductor needs through programs like Rapid Assured Microelectronics Prototypes – Commercial (RAMP-C), which provides agencies early access to leading-edge nodes such as Intel 18A. Similarly, State-of-the-Art Heterogeneous Integrated Packaging (SHIP) uses Intel Foundry’s advanced packaging to integrate secure, high-performance chiplets while maintaining strict International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) compliant controls on sensitive technical data. These efforts are complemented by collaborations with the US government to strengthen trusted manufacturing and secure enclaves, forming a model that allies could adopt to bolster supply-chain resilience.

Intel Foundry also offers prototyping services, multi-project wafer (MPW) shuttles, and dedicated enablement teams to accelerate design cycles while meeting stringent security requirements. In addition, through the Intel Foundry Accelerator Ecosystem Alliance Program, we foster robust partnerships like the US Military Aerospace and Government (USMAG) Alliance and the Chiplet Alliance, which streamline electronic design automation (EDA), verified intellectual property (IP), and design.

At Intel Foundry, we transform mission concepts into silicon.

Read our platform brief to dive deeper into how Intel Foundry can help modernize mission-critical designs. Ready to get started? Visit intel.com/foundry or reach out to us at foundry.contact@intel.com.

Endnotes

1. Based on Intel internal analysis comparing Intel 18A to Intel 16 as of February 2025. Results may vary.
2. Intel and UMC 12nm process node is not eligible for US defense-based applications.
3. Based on preliminary internal assessments under defined test conditions. Actual results may vary with system design, operating environment, and integration choices.

Notices and Disclaimers

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All product and service plans, roadmaps, and performance estimates are subject to change without notice. Projections about future node performance and other metrics are inherently uncertain. Performance results are based on testing as of dates shown. Your costs and results may vary.

This blog contains forward-looking statements about Intel’s future plans or expectations, including its process and packaging technology roadmaps. These statements are based on current expectations and involve many risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. For more information on the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, see our most recent earnings release and SEC filings at intc.com.

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