SAN FRANCISCO, March 4, 2026, 15:19 (PST)
- Intel’s 18A chipmaking process could soon be available to external clients, according to CFO David Zinsner, who said CEO Lip-Bu Tan is now open to the move.
- Intel shares jumped roughly 6% following remarks made at a Morgan Stanley investor conference.
- Craig Barratt will take over as Intel board chair after Frank Yeary retires following the company’s annual meeting in May.
Intel’s 18A chip technology could soon be available to external clients, according to CFO David Zinsner. Speaking at an investor event in San Francisco, Zinsner said, “This is actually a good node to offer to external customers.” Shares of Intel jumped roughly 6% on the news. CEO Lip-Bu Tan is now open to the move. Reuters
This possible move carries weight for Intel, which is pushing to grow Intel Foundry—its contract manufacturing wing—into a business capable of landing deals from rival chip designers. Bringing in external clients would put more work through Intel’s plants, helping to offset the hefty expense of constructing and updating those facilities.
Process names like 18A and 14A mark milestones on Intel’s manufacturing roadmap, each step demanding finer details, steeper costs, and more challenging production. Yields—the proportion of usable chips per wafer—remain the flashpoint in the discussion, since low yields can crimp margins and put off customers.
Last year, Tan indicated 18A would primarily be used for Intel’s internal products, with the foundry business targeting new clients on 14A instead. But with 18A advancing, Zinsner says Tan is now reconsidering how that division should look.
Intel is overhauling its manufacturing strategy just as its top ranks shift, with longtime board chair Frank Yeary set to step down after 17 years. Director Craig Barratt is in line to take over following the annual meeting in May. Jay Goldberg at Seaport Securities described the move as “long overdue.” Tan’s turnaround has already slashed about 20% from Intel’s headcount last year. Reuters
Tan credited Yeary for pushing disciplined board oversight as Intel worked to “strengthen our financial foundation” and drive forward on its process goals. Yeary called the company’s overhaul “a disciplined, multi-year effort.” Barratt, for his part, said he felt “honored” to help steer the board’s “rigorous execution.” Newsroom
According to a regulatory filing, Yeary told directors on Feb. 27 he’s stepping aside and won’t seek re-election. Intel now expects to shrink its board to 11 members from 12 once the annual meeting wraps up.
Intel is going head-to-head with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co and Samsung Electronics as it ramps up its foundry push. Customers, though, are mostly focused on whether Intel can reliably deliver chips using advanced nodes, not just on the sales pitch.
Letting outsiders onto 18A isn’t risk-free—especially with bumpy production. Bank of America’s Vivek Arya pointed out that low yields on 18A suggest Intel “may not be able to promise flawless execution” to foundry clients as it moves to the more advanced 14A nodes. Manufacturing Dive
Intel hasn’t said when 18A will be available to external clients. The real question now: can it convert those manufacturing gains into fresh business, with a boardroom shake-up looming?
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