Intel unveils Panther Lake processor, first 18A-based chip made in the US. CEO Lip-Bu Tan announced a new era of American semiconductor manufacturing.
Intel launches Panther Lake, first 18A-based chip made in the US
Six months after Lip-Bu Tan took over Intel with a mission to revive the company, the semiconductor giant unveiled its most ambitious update in years.
The new Panther Lake processor is the next generation of Intel’s Core Ultra line and the first chip made using 18A technology, a key step in the company’s strategy to regain engineering supremacy.
Manufacturing in the US and a technological breakthrough
Panther Lake is being manufactured at the new Fab 52 plant in Chandler, Arizona, which opened in 2025. The first shipments are expected by the end of the year.
“We are entering a new era of computing that will be shaped by breakthroughs in semiconductor technology for decades to come,” said Lip-Bu Tan.
The company emphasized that 18A is the most advanced manufacturing process built in the United States, highlighting its strategic importance to national security and technological independence.
Xeon 6+ and the recovery strategy
Intel also showed off the Xeon 6+ (codenamed Clearwater Forest), its first 18A server processor, which will be released in the first half of 2026.
This is Intel’s biggest manufacturing announcement since Tan was appointed. From his first weeks in office, he made it clear that the company would return to its “engineering roots” and focus on core products.
Government support and technological sovereignty
The meeting discussed a partnership between the company and the government aimed at bringing semiconductor manufacturing back to the United States.
“The United States has always been home to Intel’s most advanced developments. We continue that legacy by expanding our operations and innovation on our home soil,” said Tan.
