Huawei & SMIC Defy US Sanctions Yet Again With 5nm Kirin 9006C Chipset

Huawei has discreetly unveiled a 5nm ARM-based chipset, marking another stride in circumventing US sanctions. This development narrows the technological chasm between Huawei and the leading US and Taiwanese brands, which are currently advancing towards a 3nm node.

Since 2019, US sanctions have significantly hampered Chinese firms, particularly Huawei, from accessing state-of-the-art semiconductors developed by American companies or entities using US-based intellectual property. However, in a bold move, Huawei, in collaboration with SMIC (China's largest semiconductor foundry), launched a 7nm chip for the Mate 60 Pro smartphone in September. This chip not only boasted advanced features but also incorporated a 5G modem with satellite calling technology, a feature also present in the 2022 iPhone.

The 7nm Kirin 9000s chip, despite lagging 3-4 years behind the cutting-edge offerings of Qualcomm, MediaTek, Apple, and Nvidia, has been heralded as a significant achievement. Huawei's latest chipset, the Kirin 9006C, features eight ARM CPU cores – four A77 and four A55 – with a peak clock speed of 3.13GHz. Huawei touts this chipset for its superior performance, enhanced processing speeds, and reduced power consumption.

In 2020, Huawei introduced the Kirin 9000, fabricated by TSMC on a 5nm node, the last chip produced for Huawei by the Taiwanese foundry before the imposition of US sanctions. Huawei's ability to match its 2020 technology level demonstrates its resilience and technological advancement.

Before the sanctions, Huawei was TSMC's most significant Chinese client and briefly the world's top smartphone seller in 2020. However, US trade restrictions severely impacted its smartphone business.

The US also restricted sales of advanced ultra-lithography machines (EUV) from ASML to Chinese foundries like SMIC, hindering their ability to manufacture advanced semiconductors. Nevertheless, SMIC has made significant progress in deep ultraviolet lithography (DUV) technology, enabling the production of 7nm and 5nm chipsets.

The new 9006C chipset powers the Huawei Qingyun L540 laptop, and there is potential for its use in Huawei's smartphones. SMIC might also produce similar 5nm chips for other Chinese firms designing their own semiconductors.

While fabricating 5nm node chips using DUV technology is costly and complex, ASML can still sell its DUV machines to SMIC. However, new sanctions will limit these sales to the end of the current year, potentially slowing SMIC's progress towards the 3nm node. Despite these challenges, China's relentless pursuit of technological advancement continues unabated.