China's 2nd-largest chipmaker unveils tech that could produce AI chips
What's the story
China's second-largest chipmaker, Hua Hong Group, has made a major breakthrough by developing advanced manufacturing technologies for artificial intelligence (AI) chips. The development comes as part of Beijing's efforts to become more self-sufficient in technology. The company's contract chipmaking business, Huali Microelectronics, is preparing a 7-nanometer (nm) chipmaking process at its Shanghai plant. This will make it the second Chinese company after SMIC to have such advanced capabilities.
Tech partnership
Collaboration with Huawei
The development of the 7nm chipmaking process at Huali Microelectronics has been a collaborative effort. Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies has been working with the chipmaker on these advanced technologies. However, details about how Hua Hong achieved this capability, its manufacturing efficiency, and the major equipment suppliers involved in this development remain undisclosed.
Production plans
Plans for initial chip production
Huali Microelectronics plans to start initial 7nm chip production with a capacity of a few thousand wafers per month by the end of this year, according to Reuters. The company hopes to increase this capacity later on. Chinese graphics processing unit designer Biren is already using Huali's 7nm line for tape-out, which is the process of committing a chip design to a physical prototype for testing before mass production begins.
Information
Details about Hua Hong Fab 6
Hua Hong Fab 6, the most advanced of seven foundries in the Hua Hong Group, currently manufactures logic chips using 22nm and 28nm process nodes. This facility is major part of the company's plan to ramp up production capacity and keep pace with global advancements.