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Former TSMC Exec: US Can't Stop Chinese Chip Advances
The surprise 7nm Huawei chip is just the beginning.By Ryan Whitwam October 30, 2023
Credit: SMIC
The US government was caught off guard when Huawei announced a smartphone with a homegrown 7nm processor. After years of trade restrictions, it was believed China lacked the equipment to manufacture these advanced chips domestically. As regulators scramble to understand what this means for American semiconductor dominance, a former TSMC executive has suggested this approach is doomed. According to Burn J. Lin, China has what it needs to make even more advanced chips.
The US and its allies have been going after Chinese technology firms for several years, citing concerns about how advanced components based on US technology could be utilized for military purposes. In 2020, the government stepped up its campaign, blocking leading chipmaker TSMC from working with China. This hurt the country's tech sector initially, but we're now seeing a rebound.
Lin, who is well-known in the industry for his early work on immersion lithography, says that it's pointless to try and restrict China's access to Western semiconductor tech. In a rare interview at Taiwan's National Tsing Hua University, Lin said China already has what it needs to move beyond 7nm. Without even acquiring more powerful lithography machines, SMIC should be able to fabricate 5nm chips at scale, reports Bloomberg.
China's SMIC produced the 7nm Kirin 9000S for the Huawei Mate 60 Pro using ASML's NXT:2000i, a deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography scanner intended for less dense designs. However, SMIC modified the machinery and changed its lithography patterning to improve fabrication precision. The US had previously blocked the sale of extreme ultraviolet lithography devices used at TSMC to produce the most capable semiconductors in the world. That ban has now expanded to DUV, but ASML has until the end of the year to fulfill existing orders.
The NXT:2000i is one of several DUV systems in use at SMIC that could be used to produce 5nm chips. Credit: ASML
There was concern following the trade restrictions that China could follow through on its frequent threats to invade Taiwan, giving it control of TSMC. However, Lin claims the technology blockade has presented a huge opportunity to China's domestic chip industry. The CCP has adopted a "whole nation strategy" to boost semiconductor manufacturing, which could turn firms like SMIC and YMTC into chip-making juggernauts. They're already well on their way to fulfilling the country's need for advanced microprocessors.
"What the US really should do is to focus on maintaining its chip design leadership instead of trying to limit China’s progress," says Lin. Currently, US regulators are arguing over whether the trade sanctions have failed. Some wish to ramp up efforts to contain
China, but if Lin is to be believed, China will continue to advance domestic technology until it no longer needs Western equipment.
China, but if Lin is to be believed, China will continue to advance domestic technology until it no longer needs Western equipment.
