Huawei logo./Courtesy of News1

As Huawei prepares to launch its next-generation smartphone 'Mate 80' in the second half of this year, expectations have emerged that the 'mobile brain' application processor (AP), initially anticipated to be mass-produced using 5nm (nanometers, one billionth of a meter) process technology, will now be manufactured using 7nm. Due to U.S. export restrictions on advanced semiconductor equipment such as extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography devices, Huawei has been collaborating with China’s largest foundry, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC), to develop advanced processes, but it appears to be facing challenges in mass-producing the 5nm process. As the artificial intelligence (AI) features of smartphones are becoming increasingly sophisticated, there are concerns that failing to apply advanced processes to the AP that powers them could diminish hardware competitiveness.

According to industry sources on the 9th, the 'Kirin 9030' that will be installed in Huawei's next-generation smartphone model Mate 80 is expected to be mass-produced using SMIC's 7nm process. Huawei is believed to have improved design and processes so that the Kirin 9030 will enhance overall performance metrics by about 20% compared to its predecessor. The Financial Times noted, "Huawei has constructed advanced production lines in Shenzhen, China, to mass-produce AI semiconductors and APs using the 7nm process," describing it as "an attempt to mass-produce advanced semiconductors on its own."

China is unable to import semiconductor equipment used for advanced processes such as EUV due to U.S. semiconductor industry regulations. As a result, Huawei is looking for alternatives while developing its own chips, collaborating with companies like SMIC, the largest foundry in China. While AI chips are being mass-produced using deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography equipment, the previous generation of EUV equipment, it is assessed that the yield and performance are lower than those of competitors. According to benchmark performance metrics, the performance of the 'Kirin 9000s' produced using SMIC's 7nm process is similar to that of Qualcomm's Snapdragon series, which was released three years earlier.

In this context, as SMIC has been reported to have developed the 5nm process, expectations have arisen that Huawei's next-generation AP will be mass-produced through it. However, as there are obstacles in mass-producing the 5nm process, it is reported that Huawei plans to utilize the previously used 7nm process for mass production. Instead, the plan is to enhance performance by advancing design and processes themselves.

However, there are concerns that the performance of Huawei smartphones may lag behind competitors due to difficulties in applying advanced processes to AP manufacturing. The AP, which is crucial for determining smartphone performance, belongs to the product category where foundry advanced processes are first applied. As AI functionalities are extensively integrated into mobile devices, processes that can maximize power efficiency are also necessary. Global smartphone corporations, including Apple, Samsung Electronics, and Xiaomi, are equipping their premium products with APs that have 3nm processes. Apple and Samsung Electronics are expected to begin mass production of APs utilizing 2nm processes starting in the second half of the year.

A semiconductor industry official stated, "Huawei is finding ways to enhance chip performance by significantly improving design and processes, but compared to the APs designed by Qualcomm and Apple, there is a gap of about three years." They explained, "As U.S. semiconductor regulations become increasingly stringent, if challenges in mass-producing the 5nm process continue, the performance gap in smartphones may widen further."

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