Keysight Software Certified for Advanced Intel Foundry Processes

Keysight Technologies has announced that its RFPro electromagnetic design software, a core component of the Advanced Design System (ADS), has been certified for Intel Foundry’s Intel 14A and Intel 18A-P process technologies. This certification gives Radio Frequency Integrated Circuit (RFIC) and mixed-signal design engineers the confidence that their simulations accurately reflect the chipmaker's latest manufacturing processes before designs enter production.

Avoiding Costly Redesigns Through Early Validation
With the introduction of increasingly advanced process technologies, pressure is mounting on development teams to shorten cycles and minimize design errors. Discrepancies between electromagnetic behavior and circuit simulations discovered only after tape-out frequently lead to expensive re-spins. By utilizing Keysight's validated simulation tools, performance issues can be identified and resolved prior to manufacturing, significantly lowering development risk and accelerating time-to-market.

Technological Expansion and Partner Ecosystem
This latest certification supports Intel's roadmap for upcoming semiconductor generations, which introduce new architectures such as RibbonFET 2 transistors and PowerDirect power delivery. It builds on an existing collaboration that already includes support for Intel 18A and the advanced EMIB-T packaging technology. These end-to-end design flows target highly complex application areas such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), High-Performance Computing (HPC), and mobile devices. According to Shawn Han, Senior Vice President at Intel Foundry, close collaboration with ecosystem partners like Keysight accelerates customer innovation and secures power and performance goals. Niels Faché from Keysight Design Engineering Software added that the early certification enables development teams to safely adopt cutting-edge nodes immediately and achieve "first-time-right" designs.

Additional Context: Technical Specifications and Market Environment
This section provides technological background not included in the original press release.

At extremely small manufacturing nodes such as Intel 14A and 18A (operating in the sub-2-nanometer class), parasitic electromagnetic effects become a critical limiting factor due to the extreme density of transistors and metallization layers. Tools like Keysight RFPro utilize advanced 3D EM solvers to precisely model these coupling effects. With the shift to Gate-All-Around (GAA) transistors like Intel's RibbonFET and backside power delivery, the electrical and thermal profile of chips changes fundamentally, making certified Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools indispensable for the foundry process. In this specialized electromagnetic simulation segment, Keysight primarily competes with solutions such as Ansys HFSS and Cadence Clarity to provide engineers with the necessary reliability at the physical limits of silicon.

Edited by Lekshman Ramdas, Induportals editor – adapted by AI.

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