U.S. Cannot Halt China's Semiconductor Advance to 5nm: Ex TSMC VP

SMIC
(Image credit: SMIC)

China's SMIC and Huawei have surged ahead in chip technology, defying the U.S. restrictions aimed at curbing their technological advancements, Burn J. Lin, a former TSMC vice president, told Bloomberg in a rare interview. He believes ASML lithography tools that SMIC already owns will allow the company to advance to a 5nm-class fabrication process.

"It is just not possible for the US to completely prevent China from improving its chip technology," Lin told Bloomberg.

Despite the U.S. imposing technological constraints via sanctions, SMIC has showcased notable resilience and ingenuity by developing its 2nd generation 7nm-class fabrication process. It also achieved yields high enough for Huawei to make plans to supply 70 million smartphones. SMIC allegedly used ASML's Twinscan NXT:2000i litho tool, which is a deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography scanner that can produce chips on 7nm and 5 nm class process technologies. Exports of this tool to China were curbed by the Dutch government earlier this year.

The resolution that the Twinscan NXT:2000i features (≤38nm) is good enough for 7nm-class double-patterning lithography mass production. However, when it comes to 5nm-class process technologies, a finer resolution is required. To produce it, chipmakers can use double, triple, or even quadruple patterning, a lithographic technique that involves splitting a complex pattern into several simpler patterns, which are printed sequentially to achieve higher precision and detail in semiconductor manufacturing. Usage of multi-patterning is a tricky process that affects yields, and the amount of chips per wafer that can be used, so typically its usage is limited due to economic reasons. 

But being limited to tools that it already owns, SMIC has no other option but to use multi-patterning for finer resolutions. Apparently, it has managed to achieve yields acceptable to Huawei. As a result, one can ask whether the U.S. government's curbs against China's semiconductor sector work.  

"What the US really should do is to focus on maintaining its chip design leadership instead of trying to limit China's progress, which is futile as China is adopting a whole nation strategy to boost its chip industry, and hurting the global economy," former-TSMC R&D VP Lin is reported to have said. 

Interestingly, the U.S. sanctions seem to have inadvertently opened the doors of opportunity for SMIC. The restrictions imposed on TSMC, barring it from transacting with certain Chinese entities, have allowed SMIC to step in and capitalize on substantial orders. This shift has facilitated SMIC's enhancement of its manufacturing techniques and technological capabilities.

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.

  • EyadSoftwareEngineer
    I have said this many times already, China already achived it breakthrough in making micro chips and by the way they have thier own way to manufacture micro chips without the need for ASML machines, we are now entering the chinese mass production phase soon which will send a healthy shock wave to the exagrated micro chips prices that comes from western suppliers
    Reply
  • COLGeek
    EyadSoftwareEngineer said:
    I have said this many times already, China already achived it breakthrough in making micro chips and by the way they have thier own way to manufacture micro chips without the need for ASML machines, we are now entering the chinese mass production phase soon which will send a healthy shock wave to the exagrated micro chips prices that comes from western suppliers
    If so, then this will stoke competition and innovation while lowering prices for consumers. Time will tell.
    Reply
  • George³
    More competition, more good for consumers.
    Reply
  • hotaru251
    EyadSoftwareEngineer said:
    China already achived it breakthrough in making micro chips and by the way they have thier own way to manufacture micro chips without the need for ASML machines, we are now entering the chinese mass production phase soon which will send a healthy shock wave to the exagrated micro chips prices that comes from western suppliers
    yes, but no.

    They are going to limited on how small/advanced they can go as they havent made alternatives to all nodes requirements.

    This will slow down their advancement but its not something they "can't" figure out in time.

    tbh the upside of the political issues (mods this isnt political just the word being used) is it finally did force em to focus on their stuff which is beneficial long term.
    Reply
  • ohio_buckeye
    Although if they do get enough production going that could eventually hurt Intel and amd if they don’t adjust and get to where their chips are the dominant ones around the world.
    Reply
  • atomicWAR
    Interesting seeing China advance so quickly despite the sanctions. Clearly the opposite effect has occurred here than intended. Competition is not a bad thing though so hopefully this will be in the best interest of consumers and the industry as a whole. Time will tell...
    Reply
  • Kamen Rider Blade
    ohio_buckeye said:
    Although if they do get enough production going that could eventually hurt Intel and amd if they don’t adjust and get to where their chips are the dominant ones around the world.
    Tariffs and/or blocking of chip sales by collective blocking by all Western Allied countries by adversarial nations would limit their market reach.
    Reply
  • derekullo
    Kamen Rider Blade said:
    Tariffs and/or blocking of chip sales by collective blocking by all Western Allied countries by adversarial nations would limit their market reach.
    Western markets are not their only customers ...
    Reply
  • Kamen Rider Blade
    derekullo said:
    Western markets are not their only customers ...
    I know, but there are only so many markets out there, making Western Markets out of reach is realistically what is only possible in a practical sense.
    Reply
  • bit_user
    one can ask whether the U.S. government's curbs against China's semiconductor sector work.
    Depends on the goal. If it's to halt progress, then no - at least not as far as 5 nm-class. If it's to limit fab throughput and slow progress, then obviously yes. As the article said, multi-patterning takes longer and hurts yield, both of which serve to limit fab throughput on these advanced nodes. If you consider they cannot compensate by ordering any more lithography machines, then it's a big deal because it should seriously limit their ability to make the kinds of huge chips needed for AI processors and server CPUs.

    Really, all you have to do is listen to what China, itself, is saying. If the sanctions were truly ineffective, then China wouldn't be complaining or retaliating. I'm sure they don't like complaining, since it's basically admitting they're in a position of weakness which they really hate to do.

    "What the US really should do is to focus on maintaining its chip design leadership instead of trying to limit China's progress ... " former-TSMC R&D VP Lin is reported to have said.
    He either misunderstands or is misrepresenting the reason for the sanctions.
    Reply