According to reports, HiSilicon has signed a 14-nanometer order with SMIC.
According to “Digitimes” citing unnamed industry sources, Huawei HiSilicon has placed a 14nm order with China’s largest chip maker SMIC.
HiSilicon’s Kirin 710 smartphone processor was developed based ON TSMC’s 12nm FinFET node and was phased out in mid-2018. There are rumors that HiSilicon plans to release a simplified version of the Kirin 710, the Kirin 710A, which is expected to utilize the 14nm FinFET process.
TSMC has always been a core supplier to HiSilicon, and recent changes suggest that SMIC’s 14nm FinFET manufacturing process has improved to rival TSMC’s 14nm process node. In addition, the United States may block TSMC’s cooperation with Huawei, which may be another reason why HiSilicon decided to switch from TSMC to SMIC.
Since the fourth quarter of 2019, SMIC’s first-generation 14nm FinFET process has been put into operation. Financial data shows that this node accounted for about 1% of the company’s total wafer revenue in the fourth quarter. SMIC also plans to gradually increase this year. Yield.
Although SMIC is slightly less competitive than TSMC, the Chinese chip maker should not be underestimated. SMIC wants to skip the 10nm node entirely and transition directly to the 7nm node. The company expects trial production of the 7nm process by the end of 2020. On the other hand, TSMC’s EUV process is progressing smoothly. It is said that HiSilicon uses the EUV node process in TSMC.
According to reports, the Chinese semiconductor industry is continuing its efforts to gradually free itself from the blockade of U.S. technology and become self-sufficient.