Huawei plans to cooperate with SMIC to develop 3-nanometer process chips

US technology website revealed that Huawei and Chinese chip manufacturer SMIC plan to collaborate in the development of 3-nanometer process chips.

Tom's Hardware, a US technology website, reported on Tuesday (May 28) that earlier this year, Huawei and SMIC submitted a chip patent called Self Aligning Multiple Pattern Processing (SAQP). With this technology, Huawei and SMIC can use existing deep ultraviolet lithography machines (DUVs) to produce 3-nanometer process chips.

According to reports, SiCarrier, a Chinese chip manufacturing equipment developer that collaborates with Huawei, has also obtained a SAQP patent, confirming SMIC's plan to use this technology for future chip manufacturing.

SAQP refers to repeatedly carving lines on silicon wafers to increase transistor density, reduce power consumption, and thus improve performance.

In March of this year, South Korea's Central Daily News reported that SMIC had formed a research and development team for 3-nanometer process chips, speculated to be using old equipment accumulated by the United States before implementing export controls on Chinese semiconductors to produce high-end chips.

Tom's Hardware stated that Intel also attempted a SAQP like method on 10 nanometer process chips from 2019 to 2021, but it failed due to yield and other issues. However, SAQP remains crucial for Huawei and SMIC as these Chinese companies are unable to access the most advanced lithography machines.

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Source: Instrument Information Network