Why did Huawei particularly emphasize the Kirin 9000S chip at the new machine presentation?Wu Jiemin, a scholar of the Taiwan Institute of Technology, who studies the semiconductor industry, pointed out that the "Third Phase III Planning of the Grand Fund" recently launched by the mainland invested 41.1 billion US dollars (about S $ 56.1 billion), and many information and communication operators were coveted.In other words, regardless of whether the Kirin 9000S chip is in line with economic benefits in the future and whether it will continue to produce, it can get a lot of subsidies from the large fund.
A few days before the Mid -Autumn Festival, on September 25, Huawei, Mainland China held a new autumn product presentation.The film and drama King Andy Lau, Mate 60 RS Ultimate Design endorsements for Huawei high -end brand mobile phone, became the focus of the audience.This Mate 60 RS mobile phone priced at RMB 1999 (about S $ 2285) is a luxury version of the Mate 60 Pro that has attracted global attention before; both also uses SMIC's 7 -nanometer Kirin (Kirin) 9000s chip.
However, this chip did not specifically introduce at the press conference, it seems to deliberately reduce the outside world's attention to it.
Huawei boss Ren Zhengfei dares to spend a lot of money to invest in technology research and development and recruit international talents.Hisilicon Semiconductor, established in 2004, was the largest non -factory semiconductor in mainland China (compilation: Fabless Semiconductor, which refers to the design plant that is only engaged in the circuit design of hardware chips), which occupies in the mainland that exceeds Qualcomm in the United States.The Kirin 9000 series was published in 2020.Hisilicon's design capabilities have no production capacity. In the past 9000 series, TSMC was assigned to Taiwan.Earlier, chips such as Kirin 970, 980 and 990 designed by Hisilicon were also produced by TSMC 10nm and 7nm process.Under the cheering of high -level chips produced by Hisilicon -TSMC, in July 2020, Huawei surpassed South Korea's Samsung with a shipment of 55.8 million units and 20%of the market share, which once became the highest mobile phone plant in the world.
But the good times are not very good. Following ZTE, Huawei is in the core of the Storm of Science and Technology War in the United States and China.Although Huawei's investment in research and development is not soft, it has also been accused of stealing high -tech in the United States by the United States. In addition, some countries' doubts about the security of Huawei's mobile phone information have made Huawei a rapid decline in the global market.In July 2020, Liu Deyin, Chairman of TSMC, confirmed at the legal person's briefing that after the end of the United States' export ban on Huawei in mid -September that year, it will no longer ship to Huawei;apple.One month later, Yu Chengdong, the president of Huawei Consumer Business, said in the "Informatization Hundred People Conference" in mainland China: "The U.S.'s impact on Huawei's second round of sanctions, unfortunately the flagship machine Huawei Mate 40, which is about to be released this fall, and the Kirin 9000 chip., Will be a top version of Huawei Kirin's high -end chip. "Under the double blow of the epidemic and the United States ban, Huawei's global sales have plummeted and can no longer threaten Samsung and Apple.The United States blocked Hisilicon's high -end chip, which is a blow to the Chinese communications industry in mainland China, and also allowed the United States to achieve an absolute leading position in the Global 5G wars around the world.
Why did TSMC listen to the United States at that time, follow Huawei?Because TSMC uses many American patented technology.This is just like the Dutch semiconductor equipment factory ASML is eager for the Chinese market, but because of the use of American technology patents, it is limited by the United States' ban on China and cannot sell advanced extremely ultraviolet light (EUV) lithography machines to mainland China.
The U.S. government issued a restrictions on Huawei in May 2019, but at that time, if the proportion of patent technology and software from the United States is higher than 25%, whether or not American companies sell such goods to Huawei,It is approved by the US government; the following year, it is stricter that as long as products and software that uses US patent technology and software, they must be approved by the United States.As a result, TSMC had to stop it for Hisilicon's foundry.During the 120 -day buffer period after the ban, Huawei urgently placed an order of $ 700 million, including the Kirin 9000 chip used by Mate 40.
Technically worthy of calling
TSMC originally supplied more than 90 % of Huawei's mobile phone chips. Without TSMC's technical support, Huawei's combat power declined by more than half, and the global market share also fell from the top three to about 10.Originally, Huawei himself thought that the Kirin 9000 chip was about to live in the end, but it was resurrected three years later.
The Kirin 9000S chip used by Mate 60 RS this time is made by mainland China SMIC.The chip triggered global attention because: In the past, the Kirin 9000 chip produced by the TSMC 5 -nanometer process equipped in the Mate 40 in the past did not support 5G under the US ban; this time the SMIC used the 7 -nanometer process to support 5G chips.Does this mean that the semiconductor industry in mainland China has broken through the US ban and obtained a technical leap in technology?
The major manufacturers produce a 7 -nanometer process chip, which are manufactured with extremely UV light (EUV) lithography machine. However, under the US limit order, companies such as ASLM, Japan, JapanGive it to mainland Chinese manufacturers.Therefore, SMIC can only produce 7 -nanometer process chips with a relatively backward deep ultraviolet light (DUV) lithography machine.Lin Yijing, a scientific and technological player in Taiwan, hit a vivid metaphor: Mainland Chinese Gongbi should be described with thin brushes, but Zhongxin draws a 7 -nanometer process chip with thick brushes.Technically, it is certainly worthy of weighing.
However, if you want to use DUV "thick pen" to produce, on the one hand, it must be repeatedly exposed back and forth, which will affect the quality and cost of production, and cannot reach the scale of mass production economy.Taiwanese semiconductor industry estimates that the yield of the SMIC's 7 -nanometer process may be less than 15%, and the yield of the 7 -nanometer chip of TSMC is 80%.Wang Pai Pao, deputy dean of the China Institute of Economics in Taiwan, pointed out that using a DUV lithography machine to produce 7 -nanometer chips, the yield must be 70 % to 80 % to make a profit.Moreover, this is not a major breakthrough in semiconductor technology -the first generation of TSMC's 7 -nanometer process chip, which was produced in 2018 with a DUV lithography machine.In addition, Samsung and Intel have previously successfully produced 7 -nanometer chips with DUV lithography machines.However, because the yield is not high, these three advanced manufacturers will soon use EUV to produce.
According to the actual measurement, the Kirin 9000S chip produced by SMIC is equivalent to the level of Qualcomm 865 chips in the United States.This is the chip used in Xiaomi 10 Pro in 2020. It may be slightly better than TSMC 10nm process level, but the performance is lower than the TSMC 5nm chip used by Huawei Mate 40 in 2020.
In addition, ASML exports to the high -end of mainland China and can produce 7 nanometer DUV lithography machines. It has also been banned from September 1st, and can only be exported until the end of this year.Yang Ruilin, a researcher at the International Institute of Obstetrics of Taiwan Industry and Research Institute, said that the small pink of mainland China "Hi is too much, it seems that SMIC can achieve 5 nanometer and 3 nanometers all the way. I think this is a bit like an empty tower."He asserted certainly: "7 nanometers are an end point in the development of China's process." It is more accurate that if the United States does not relax the resistance to the semi -guide industry of mainland China, it is difficult for the mainland to develop its own EUV lithography machine independently to produce to produce to produce to produce to produce to produce to produce to produce to produce to produceMore advanced process.
Can the big fund overtaking successfully?
Why did Huawei specially emphasize the Kirin 9000S chip at the new machine press conference?Wu Jiemin, a scholar of the Taiwan Institute of Technology, who studies the semiconductor industry, pointed out: "The news of Huawei SMIC and Mate resurrected, the motivation for rent is obvious." He pointed out that the "Third Phase III Plan" of the newly launched in mainland China invested 41.1 billion US dollars (approximately about approximately about56.1 billion yuan), many information and communication operators are coveted.In other words, regardless of whether the Kirin 9000S chip is in line with economic benefits in the future and whether it will continue to produce, it can get a lot of subsidies from the large fund.
Can the $ 411 billion in large funds overtaking in mainland China semiconductor industry?This amount looks high, but TSMC's capital expenditure this year has exceeded 32$ 100 million, nearly 80 % of the large funds.What's more, from the records of the Great Fund in the past, invalid investment, repeated investment, and corruption, it cost a large piece.Last year, the Great Fund began to set off anti -corruption storms, and Huaxin's investment in the management of the fund has been investigated and punished.
Even if there is a big fund, this this this is bleak in the semiconductor industry of Mainland China this year.SMIC announced its financial report in September. In the second quarter, the net profit, revenue and gross profit margin fell by about 20 % in the same period last year.
Liu Dehua's Mate 60 RS endorsement advertisement said: "I keep saying to myself: 'To do it, to do the extreme.'" "A big step, as Yang Ruilin said, is the end of the development of the semi -guide system in mainland China?The answer should be clear soon.
The author is a senior media person in Taiwan, the chief of the new news of the Internet media
