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Google Translation from Korean
The Kirin 9000s is believed to have been mass-produced in the 7nm process of SMIC, a Chinese foundry (semiconductor consignment production) company. Although 7nm is not ‘state-of-the-art’, it is evaluated as ‘state-of-the-art’. Samsung Electronics and TSMC entered the 7nm process around 2018-2019, 4-5 years ago.
https://www.hankyung.com/article/202309106502i
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The narrative that Huawei has triumphed over US sanctions seems overblown. According to this Korean article, SMIC produced the Kirin 9000s 7nm chip using ASML’s DUV lithography equipment instead of the blocked EUV. This is not cost-effective, requiring significant, ongoing governmental support. TSMC & Samsung produce at 4-5nm, with 3nm expected soon. But SMIC can’t progress thru more of the same as the 7nm is the last process that can be reached using this DUV + lots of subsidies approach. Also, there is a “significant gap” in terms of memory semiconductors, and as China lacks adequate Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools, American tools were probably used without licenses. https://hankyung.com/article/202309
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“이걸 베끼다니”…中, 반도체 기술 뽐내려다 딱 걸렸다 [황정수의 반도체 이슈 짚어보기]
입력2023.09.10 09:00 수정2023.09.10 11:03
“You can’t believe you copied this”… China was caught trying to show off its semiconductor technology [Hwang Jeong-su’s look at semiconductor issues] Reporter Hwang Jeong-su Entered2023.09.10 09:00 Modified2023.09.10 11:03
화웨이 신형 스마트폰 통해 본
중국 반도체 기술력 수준
파운드리 7nm 공정 놀랍지만
비용 크고 생산성 떨어질 것
화웨이가 미국의 반도체 수출 규제에도 불구하고 스마트폰 ‘메이트 60 프로’를 공개하면서 중국의 반도체 기술 경쟁력에 대한 관심이 커지고 있다. 스마트폰의 두뇌 역할을 하는 애플리케이션프로세서(AP)가 7나노미터(nm·1nm=10억분의 1m) 공정에서 생산됐다는 사실이 알려지면서 ‘미국의 대(對)중국 반도체 수출 규제가 무력화됐다’, ‘중국이 반도체 굴기(崛起)에 성공했다’ 등의 분석도 나온다. 과연 중국의 반도체 기술력이 한국을 위협할 정도로 성장했을까. 반도체 전문가들에게 의견을 들어봤다. 결론은 “놀랍긴 한데 중국 반도체 기술의 한계가 분명하고, 아직 한국을 따라잡으려면 멀었다”는 것이다. 오히려 미국을 자극했기 때문에 ‘제 발등을 찍은 것’이란 평가도 나온다.
A look at Huawei’s new smartphone China’s semiconductor technology level The foundry 7nm process is amazing, but Costs will be high and productivity will be low
Interest in China’s semiconductor technology competitiveness is growing as Huawei unveiled its smartphone ‘Mate 60 Pro’ despite US semiconductor export regulations. As it became known that the application processor (AP), which serves as the brain of a smartphone, was produced in a 7 nanometer (nm·1nm=1 billionth of a meter) process, ‘US regulations on semiconductor exports to China were neutralized.’ There are also analyzes such as ‘China has succeeded in becoming a semiconductor company.’ Has China’s semiconductor technology grown to the point where it threatens Korea? We heard opinions from semiconductor experts. The conclusion is, “It’s surprising, but the limits of China’s semiconductor technology are clear, and there is still a long way to go to catch up with Korea.” Some say that because it provoked the United States, it ‘shot itself in the foot’.
큰 관심을 받은 건 화웨이의 스마트폰에 7nm 공정에서 양산된 5G 스마트폰용 AP인 ‘기린 9000s’가 적용됐다는 점이다. 화웨이는 2019년 미국의 반도체 수출 규제가 본격화되기 전 자회사 ‘하이실리콘’을 통해 세계적인 수준의 AP 개발 능력을 보유하고 있었다. 5G 통신칩을 세계 최초로 양산할 정도였다. 이런 점에서 화웨이가 5G AP 기린 9000s를 자체 개발한 건 놀라운 일이 아니라는 평가가 나온다.
파운드리(반도체 수탁생산) 기술력에 대해선 ‘예상보다 올라왔다’는 평가가 나온다. 기린 9000s는 중국 파운드리(반도체 수탁생산)업체 SMIC의 7nm 공정에서 양산된 것으로 추정된다. 7nm는 ‘최첨단’은 아니지만 ‘첨단’ 수준으로 평가된다. 삼성전자와 TSMC는 4~5년 전인 2018~2019년께 7nm 공정에 진입했다.
What received great attention was that Huawei’s smartphone was equipped with Kirin 9000s, an AP for 5G smartphones mass-produced in the 7nm process. Before the US semiconductor export regulations came into effect in 2019, Huawei had world-class AP development capabilities through its subsidiary HiSilicon. It was the world’s first mass-produced 5G communication chip. In this respect, some say it is not surprising that Huawei developed its own 5G AP Kirin 9000s. Regarding the foundry (semiconductor consignment production) technology, there is an evaluation that it is ‘better than expected.’ The Kirin 9000s is believed to have been mass-produced in the 7nm process of SMIC, a Chinese foundry (semiconductor consignment production) company. Although 7nm is not ‘state-of-the-art’, it is evaluated as ‘state-of-the-art’. Samsung Electronics and TSMC entered the 7nm process around 2018-2019, 4-5 years ago.
For more:
https://www.hankyung.com/article/202309106502i
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weehingthong 