Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:
Huawei's new chip breakthrough likely to trigger closer
US scrutiny -analysts (2/2)
Tue, September 5, 2023 at 8:30 a.m. PDT
By David Kirton and Max A. Cherney
(continue)
LIMITED ACHIEVEMENT
The most advanced chip SMIC had previously been known for making
was 14nm, as it was barred by Washington in late 2020 from obtaining an EUV
machine from Dutch firm ASML.
But TechInsights last year said it believed SMIC had managed
to produce 7 nm chips by tweaking simpler DUV machines it could still purchase
freely from ASML.
Some analysts including Jefferies' said there was also a
possibility Huawei had purchased the tech and equipment from SMIC to make the
chip rather than doing it in collaboration.
Whoever is making the chip, Tilly Zhang, an analyst at Gavekal Dragonomics, downplayed the success, citing a low yield rate which reduces the number of useable chips from each wafer and raises costs, and new export controls imposed by the Netherlands that will limit SMIC's access to more immersion DUV machine.
"They have just demonstrated that they are willing to accept much higher costs than are normally considered worthwhile ... It is only the combination of Huawei’s own large financial resources and generous government subsidies that could allow it to sell phones using these chips at normal market prices," Zhang said.
Reuters reported on Tuesday that China is set to launch a new state-backed investment fund that aims to raise about $40 billion for its chip sector, as the country ramps up efforts to catch up with the U.S. and other rivals.
Some research firms forecast SMIC's 7 nm process has a yield rate below 50%, versus the industry norm of 90% or more, and it would limit shipments to around 2-4 million chips, not enough for Huawei to regain its former smartphone market dominance.
Jefferies analysts reckon Huawei is preparing to ship ten million units of the Mate 60 Pro, though it may struggle to support that quantity with China-made 7 nm chips.
In that case it could turn to 10 nm chips, but with an estimated 20% yield, which refers to the number of working chips on each silicon wafer, Jefferies said, it would be far below the 90% for most consumer devices.
"The (U.S.) controls are imposing high costs for producing controlled technologies in China," said Doug Fuller, a chip researcher at the Copenhagen Business School, adding that the Chinese government was likely footing the bill.
(Reporting by David Kirton and Max Cherney, writing by Brenda Goh; Editing by Miyoung Kim and Nick Zieminski)
Translation
（繼續）
有限成就
中芯國際此前生產的最先進芯片是 14 納米，因為華盛頓在
2020 年底禁止中芯國際從荷蘭公司
ASML 獲得
EUV 機器。
但 TechInsights 去年表示，相信中芯國際已經通過調整, 它仍然可以從 ASML 自由地購買更簡單的 DUV 機器成功生產了 7 納米芯片。
包括Jefferies在內的一些分析師表示，華為也有可能從中芯國際購買技術和設備來製造芯片，而不是合作製造。
無論是誰製造該芯片，Gavekal Dragonomics 分析師 Tilly Zhang 淡化了這一成功，理由是由於每片晶圓的可用芯片數量減少令生產率較低而導致成本上升，而荷蘭實施的新出口管制將限制中芯國際獲得更多浸入式DUV機器。
Zhang說: “他們剛剛表明，他們願意接受比通常認為值得的高得多的成本……只有華為自身龐大的財力和慷慨的政府補貼相結合，才能使其以正常價格在市場銷售使用這些芯片的手機”。
路透社週二報導稱，隨著中國加大力度追趕美國和其他競爭對手，中國將推出一項新的國家支持投資基金，旨在為其芯片行業籌集約 400 億美元。
一些研究公司預測，中芯國際7納米工序的生產率低於50%，而行業標準為90%或更高，這將限制芯片出貨量在200-400萬顆左右，不足以讓華為恢復昔日智能手機市場的主導地位。 。
Jefferies 分析師認為，華為正準備出貨 1,000 萬台 Mate 60 Pro，儘管它可能很難用中國製造的 7 納米芯片來支持這一數量。
Jefferies 表示，在這種情況下，它可能會轉向10 nm 芯片，但預計生產率為20%（指的是每個矽晶圓上的可用芯片數量），這將遠遠低於大多數用於消費裝置的90%。
哥本哈根商學院芯片研究員 Doug Fuller 表示： “（美國）管制措施給中國生產受控技術帶來了高昂的成本” 。他補充說，這筆費用可能由中國政府買單。
So, some analysts believe that
SMIC had managed to produce 7 nm chips by tweaking simpler DUV machines it could
still purchase freely from ASML. Some
analysts suggest that China’s efforts could likely
prompt Washington to tighten control. It seems that Chinese government
subsidies could have play a role in allowing Huawei to sell phones at normal
market prices even using expensive
chips. Let’s see how the U.S. will respond.
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