Russia Aims to Mass Produce 28nm Chips by 2027, 14nm by 2030

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(Image credit: Arm)

As it's being ostracized and sanctioned by much of the world for its war against Ukraine, Russia is building up plans to revive its ailing local manufacturing of semiconductors since it cannot get chips from the usual suppliers. The country's new chip plan involves a rather massive investment over the next eight years; the goals don't sound ambitious. For example, while TSMC plans to hit 2nm by 2026, Russia wants 28nm local chip manufacturing by 2027 and 14nm by 2030, according to a new Cnews report.

Russia's government has developed a preliminary version of its new microelectronics development plan that requires investments of around ₽3.19 trillion ($38.43 billion) by 2030. The money will be spent on developing local semiconductor production technologies, domestic chip development, data center infrastructure, developing local talents, and marketing homebrew chips and solutions, reports Cnews.

On the semiconductor manufacturing side, the country plans to spend ₽420 billion ($5 billion) on new fabrication technologies and their ramp-up. One of the short-term goals is to ramp up local chip production using a 90nm fabrication technology by the end of the year. A longer-term goal is to establish manufacturing using a 28nm node by 2030, something TSMC did in 2011. 

Historically somewhat successful with software and high-tech services, Russia has been comparatively unsuccessful with chip design and manufacturing. While there are plans to educate local talent and develop chips domestically, the country plans to establish a reverse engineering program of 'foreign solutions' to transfer their manufacturing to Russia by the end of the year. All digital items should be produced domestically by 2024. Things that the country cannot make domestically are expected to be sourced from China. 

While Russia's plan seems to contain many items and sets some goals, it should be noted that even China has not managed to localize a substantial portion of critically important chip manufacturing. Whether or not Russia, which cannot use technologies developed in the U.S., U.K., or Europe, will achieve its goals by 2024 or 2030 is up in the air. But that doesn't mean there isn't a likely answer.

The plan is projected to be finalized and sent for official approval by the prime minister on April 22, 2022.

Anton Shilov
Contributing Writer

Anton Shilov is a contributing writer at Tom’s Hardware. Over the past couple of decades, he has covered everything from CPUs and GPUs to supercomputers and from modern process technologies and latest fab tools to high-tech industry trends.

  • peachpuff
    I didn't know toms has wondered off into satarical content like the onion...
    Reply
  • Ravestein NL
    Well, then it's clear that Russia is going to export to China
    Reply
  • ThomasKinsley
    Ravestein NL said:
    Well, then it's clear that Russia is going to export to China

    I take it the other way around. China just announced a domestic 28nm scanner, and evidence indicates they already have a complex process for 7nm. Most likely Russia and China have an agreement in which China will share the technology with Russia.
    Reply
  • bugzrrad
    > The plan is projected to be finalized and sent for official approval by the prime minister on April 22, 2022.
    wat
    Reply
  • Order 66
    we will be on sub 1nm by then. Russia (and china) have a long way to go to produce advanced nodes domestically.
    Reply
  • Geef
    One great part about all of this is most chips don't need to be just a few nanometers. Besides your phone and your PC there aren't many items around that need smaller than 28nm. Anything that existed before the turn of the century can still be made with larger than 28nm.
    Reply
  • satai
    Shipyards building luxury yachts love this news.
    Reply
  • IBM296
    Russia can save itself all the hassle. China is already on 28nm and will be at 5nm or 3nm by 2030. Just ask China for help XD.
    Reply
  • sygreenblum
    IBM296 said:
    Russia can save itself all the hassle. China is already on 28nm and will be at 5nm or 3nm by 2030. Just ask China for help XD.
    Without EUV that would by quite a feat.
    Reply
  • IBM296
    sygreenblum said:
    Without EUV that would by quite a feat.
    3-4 years remaining till China has its own EUV machines.
    Reply