Intel Foundry Achieves Milestone with World’s Thinnest GaN Chiplet at Just 19μm

Intel Foundry has recently made significant progress in semiconductor innovation, unveiling the world’s first and thinnest GaN chiplet, which boasts a remarkable thickness of only 19μm.

Transforming Data Centers and Connectivity with GaN Technology

This groundbreaking chiplet exemplifies Intel’s commitment to enhancing power, speed, and efficiency within a compact structure. Demonstrated by the Intel Foundry research team, this innovative gallium nitride (GaN) chiplet utilizes 300mm GaN-on-silicon wafers and includes several noteworthy features:

The GaN chiplet measures only 19 micrometers (μm) in thickness, developed from a 300 millimeter (mm) GaN-on-silicon wafer.
Successfully merging GaN transistors with traditional silicon digital circuits on a single chip allows for advanced computing functions without the need for separate chiplets.
Extensive testing indicates that this innovative GaN technology meets high reliability standards required for practical applications, making it suitable for smaller, more efficient electronics necessary for modern data centers and the future of 5G and 6G communications.

In a recent press release, Intel Foundry highlighted this revolutionary GaN chiplet technology as a pivotal advancement in semiconductor design. Showcased at the 2025 IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM), this innovation aims to tackle major challenges in the computing landscape, particularly the demand for improved power, speed, and efficiency in increasingly compact formats.

As the need for higher performance intensifies across various sectors including graphics processing, server technologies, and high-speed wireless networks, Intel Foundry’s ultra-thin GaN chiplet — a mere 19 μm thick, equivalent to one-fifth of a human hair — marks a substantial evolution in semiconductor manufacturing. This innovation is complemented by the industry’s first fully monolithic on-die digital control circuits, all integrated through a single manufacturing process.

Intel Foundry’s advancements come in response to a persistent challenge in electronics: the drive to cram more functionality into tighter spaces while managing increased power demands and higher data transfer speeds. Traditional silicon technologies are nearing their limits, leading to a search for alternative materials such as GaN. This new technology reduces the necessity for separate companion chiplets, effectively minimizing energy loss from signal routing and optimizing overall system efficiency. The extensive reliability testing demonstrates good prospects for this platform as a viable product in real-world scenarios.

A diagram showing components labeled 'GaN N-MOSHEMT' and 'Si PMOS' with various layers and interconnects marked as 'M1, ' 'V0, ' 'Gate, ' 'BOX, ' and 'GaN.'

The implications of this technology extend far beyond isolated applications. In data centers, GaN chiplets can operate more efficiently by switching faster and losing less energy compared to their silicon counterparts. This leads to the development of voltage regulators that are not only smaller and more efficient but also conveniently located nearer to processors to minimize resistive losses incurred over long power routes.

Additionally, the high-frequency capabilities of GaN transistors render them ideal for the radio frequency (RF) front-end technology necessary for the advancing 5G and 6G systems of the decade ahead. GaN’s ability to perform effectively at frequencies beyond 200 GHz positions it as a critical component for the centimeter- and millimeter-wave bands integral to next-generation networks. Beyond communications, this technology also holds significant relevance for radar systems, satellite communications, and photonic applications where swift electrical switching is essential.

When compared to conventional silicon CMOS technology, GaN chiplets present compelling advantages that conventional materials struggle to match. They offer greater power density, enabling the creation of more capable systems in reduced footprints — essential for space-constrained environments like point-of-load power delivery for data centers, cutting-edge electric vehicles, and wireless base stations. Traditional silicon begins to experience reliability issues at temperatures above approximately 150°C, limiting its utility in high-heat conditions.

Thanks to its wider bandgap, GaN technology can operate in higher temperature environments with enhanced stability, resulting in decreased power losses during switching events and improved thermal management. This efficiency not only lowers operational costs but also reduces the scale and expense of cooling systems. Moreover, Intel Foundry’s choice to leverage 300 mm silicon wafers for GaN production synergizes seamlessly with existing silicon manufacturing infrastructures, potentially minimizing the need for significant new capital investments.