SMIC reportedly develops 5nm process, Huawei Mate 70 could be first to use it

A new report has shown some good signs for the Huawei Mate 70 series as it might be the first flagship in the industry to equip a 5nm process chipset by SMIC. The information says that the foundry has built the ultimate tech without advanced aids.

SMIC has been reportedly working on the 5nm process technology for a long time to build advanced-level chips for Huawei. The chipmaker laid the foundation of a new production line early this year to produce a strong chip by the end of 2024.

Now a new piece of information says that SMIC has achieved this milestone and developed the 5nm process without any high-end chip-making tools or equipment.

The input reveals that SMIC built the 5nm node via the DUV equipment. It refers to a deep ultraviolet lithography system that prints the tiny features to form the base of a processor. The news aligns accurately with an early headline related to this matter.

Further details say that SMIC is all set to initiate the mass production of the first batch of these wafers. Since Huawei has been at the first mark in the queue of using a 5nm process by SMIC, we could see the new technology with the Mate 70 flagship.

Rumors said that Huawei is readying a new Kirin chipset for its next Mate lineup. Even though many of us expected to see this chip roots on the 5nm process, a leak suggested that the Chinese tech giant will continue to opt for 7nm chips for its new products, including those coming in the second half of this year.

But things might change as per the new report.

Some other details noted that since SMIC has allegedly developed the 5nm process technology without any advanced-level equipment, it could be far more expensive than others, probably 50% costlier than TSMC using the same chipmaking equipment.

This also hints that Huawei could raise the price of the Mate 70 series and may encounter difficulties in selling the high-fy device. Although the OEM might make ways by mid-October to overcome such challenges, if any for a smooth-running business.

3nm chip – the next milestone?

Online rumors also hint that SMIC is associating with a pro-level research and development team to initiate the making of 3nm chips. Though it still needs confirmation.

Another report regarding SMIC points out that the chipmaker secured third place in the global chip manufacturing services race, leaving behind TSMC and Samsung. It’s the first time that a China chip-producing firm entered the top 3 rankers list worldwide.

The firm’s first-quarter revenue collection is $1.75 billion this year and is the only one among the top 5 contenders to see a positive growth in Q4 2024. One of the SMIC insiders shared its view on this subject and said the following words:

“The collaboration where Huawei designs the chips and SMIC manufactures them is making China’s semiconductor independent. Other Chinese firms are also teaming up with Huawei and SMIC in developing High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) processors, effectively nibbling away at South Korea’s semiconductor territory in a ‘Team China’ fashion.”

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