Due to the US ban on this technology, Huawei and SMIC are reportedly progressing towards developing their first 5nm chips without using extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography.
According to reports, SMIC has achieved a significant milestone in its 5nm chip manufacturing technology and is preparing for small-scale trial production. It is anticipated that the initial processor chip to utilize this 5nm manufacturing process might be featured in the upcoming Huawei Mate70 series smartphone, set to be launched later this year.
Due to the unavailability of EUV machines, SMIC had to use an older photolithography machine (DUV), making the achievement even more notable. However, utilizing DUV machines for 5nm chip production can lead to lower performance and increased production costs due to the additional effort required.
Reportedly, SMIC’s 5nm chips are priced at 50% more than those produced by TSMC. Despite the higher costs, Huawei is compelled to accept these terms due to the US government ban restricting the company’s access to advanced semiconductor technologies that rely on EUV production machines, exclusively manufactured by ASML from the Netherlands.
It has been revealed that Huawei has obtained a patent for “self-aligned quadrilateral patterning” (SAQP) lithography, a technology that has the potential to facilitate the creation of 3nm chips. However, it remains uncertain whether SMIC’s DUV machine can be adapted to aid in the production of these chips. Meanwhile, industry competitors such as TSMC and Samsung Foundry are moving toward mass production of 2nm chips next year, indicating that Huawei still lags behind its rivals.