I doubt SMIC can get 3nm yields to an acceptable level using existing DUV machines. Maybe domestic machines will be more capable? The multi-patterning issue surely must be easier to solve than the EUV one.
I agree, but their goal may not be high yields needed for commercial sales, but lower yield for domestic military applications.
These sanctions are marketed as being aimed at military applications, but the dirty little secret is that high-end semiconductors are irrelevant for military tech, which overwhelmingly uses previous-gen semiconductor tech.
Yep. Laymen do not understand why Moore’s Law came to an end, or at least the shrinking part. The microstructures are hard to produce, but it’s because we’re literally hitting the limits of silicon and EM fields. The smaller ones have been more sensitive and have far more internal interference for generations by now.
but the dirty little secret is that high-end semiconductors are irrelevant for military tech, which overwhelmingly uses previous-gen semiconductor tech.
I can certainly see that for currently developed and deployed military applications, but what about next gen system in development? Hence my thought about small yields being fine. If their weapons researchers are still developing with engineering samples, then very low yields is fine because it keeps development moving.
I think the ultimate Chinese goal is to match or overtake Taiwan. The Taiwanese exclusive ability to produce high quality chips is an economic guarantee of independence… if China can remove it then the most pragmatic reason to ensure Taiwanese independence evaporates. The US will still probably try and defend Taiwan but it will be “less necessary”.
nm measurements don’t mean the same thing moving between foundries and manufacturers. The measurement itself became more marketing than a description of what the die’s capabilities wrt layout actually is almost a decade ago.
Working on it doesn’t mean they have something even remotely functional.
Btw, shouldn’t they be working on 5nm before 3nm? I’m also not sure how many 7nm chips they can produce. Have they made anything other than that one chip for Huawei? Has that been sold anywhere in the world other than China? Is that phone common in China?
They already have working 5nm parts, but with limited capacity and capabilities (e.g the chinese made 5nm parts dont have modern modems in them)
Tbh all they had to do was give up their internet firewall and have an opt in option. But hey dictators always gotta try run the show
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From the moment China was banned I knew without a doubt that we will get very cheap CPU and GPU chips in the near future.