Huawei and its secretive chipmaking partner in China have filed a patent for a simple but potentially effective technological method for producing advanced semiconductors, giving China a chance to improve its chipmaking techniques despite US efforts to block it, according to Bloomberg .
Patent filings with China's intellectual property office show the companies are developing technology known as self-aligning four-dimensional patterning (SAQP), which would reduce reliance on advanced lithography techniques.
SAQP is a technique of etching lines on a silicon wafer repeatedly to increase transistor density and improve chip performance.
The technology allows them to produce advanced chips without the need for advanced extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment from ASML, the world's only supplier of EUV machines based in the Netherlands, but which cannot sell them into China because of US restrictions.
“The application of this patent will increase the freedom of circuit design,” the filing to China’s National Intellectual Property Office said.
Chinese tech giants like Huawei are working to boost their domestic chip manufacturing capabilities. (Photo: Reuters)
SiCarrier, a state-backed chip equipment developer that works with Huawei, was granted a patent related to SAQP in late 2023. Their patent uses DUV deep ultraviolet lithography along with SAQP technology to achieve certain technical thresholds on 5nm chips. This method can replace the use of EUV machines while reducing manufacturing costs.
According to Dan Hutcheson, vice president of research firm TechInsights, SAQP technology is enough for China to produce 5nm chips, but in the long term, the country still needs to get EUV machines.
“The new technology can alleviate some of the difficulties in manufacturing advanced chips, but cannot completely overcome the technical problems caused by the lack of EUV,” said Mr. Dan.
Leading chipmakers like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (TSMC) use EUV machines to produce advanced chips because of their high yield. If Huawei and its partners use alternative methods to produce semiconductors, their per-chip prices could be higher than the industry standard.
The most advanced chips in commercial production today are all 3nm, including the chips TSMC makes for Apple. China is currently capable of making 7nm chips, which is about two generations behind. Moving to 5nm would bring the gap down to a generation.
The US and its allies have been tightening China’s access to semiconductors and chipmaking equipment for years, including bans on exports of ASML’s EUV chipmaking machines and Nvidia’s most powerful graphics processors, which are used to train artificial intelligence services.
The administration of US President Joe Biden has said such controls are "necessary for national security".
But Chinese companies are investing billions of dollars to develop their own chipmaking capabilities, and Huawei launched a groundbreaking smartphone last year powered by an advanced 7nm processor, showing that China’s tech sector is making progress despite efforts by the US, the Netherlands and Japan.
Washington is looking for more ways to curb Beijing’s advances. It is urging allies like South Korea and Germany to join the effort, and is considering blacklisting several other Chinese chip companies with ties to Huawei, including SiCarrier.
A group of Chinese chip equipment makers including Naura and AMEC are also considering adding more patterning technology with etching systems to produce 7nm and above chips because "EUV is out of reach," according to a report by Citigroup analysts.
“Chinese semiconductor companies mainly use SAQP to produce advanced chips, which could increase the density of etching machines in China,” the report said.
Beijing has been fully supportive of the country’s most prominent chip equipment suppliers this year, with Chinese Premier Li Qiang visiting Naura’s offices this month in a highly publicized personal visit intended to show central government support.
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