Huawei continues its rise in the semiconductor market. Most recently, the company announced its goal to produce chips at the 1.4nm level without needing ASML's advanced EUV lithography machines.
Can Produce Chips Without ASML
As you know, due to US sanctions, Huawei has long been unable to access advanced chip manufacturing equipment and is turning to different architectural solutions instead of traditional production methods. The company's plan relies on redesigning the data flow and layer structure within the chip, rather than merely shrinking transistor size.
He Tingbo, head of Huawei's chip unit, stated that the solution developed by the company is "viable and economical." According to the announcement, Huawei aims to achieve 1.4nm-class transistor density by 2031. This target is at the same level as the next-generation manufacturing processes currently being pursued by major manufacturers like Intel, TSMC, and Samsung. However, these companies largely rely on EUV systems developed by ASML for their production.
1.4nm Target and "LogicFolding" Technology
Huawei's approach focuses on three-dimensional chip designs. The company aims to use multiple circuit layers on a single chip and accelerate data communication between these layers. This way, performance improvement is intended to be achieved through architectural efficiency, not solely through transistor miniaturization.
The company has branded a part of this approach as "LogicFolding." The technology is expected to be used in the next-generation Kirin processors, which are anticipated to be introduced at the end of the year.
Furthermore, Huawei states that it is developing similar techniques for artificial intelligence processors. Especially in AI systems, data transfer speed has become as critical as raw processing power, making such architectural changes even more significant.
In reality, multi-layered chip designs also present significant challenges. Heat management, in particular, can lead to serious problems in densely layered structures. Moreover, much more advanced software solutions are required to control these systems.
Despite these challenges, Huawei announced that it has continued to develop its own semiconductor technologies under sanctions for the past six years and has brought hundreds of different chip models into mass production during this period. If the company can meet its targeted timeline, this could be a significant turning point not only for Huawei but for the entire semiconductor industry.
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