Huawei’s Latest 7nm Processor Revealed as China’s Chip Progress Stalls

Last year marked a significant achievement for Huawei and SMIC with the launch of the 7nm-class HiSilicon Kirin 9000S processor, which is at the heart of Huawei’s Mate 60 Pro smartphone. This year, the Mate 70 Pro is equipped with a system-on-chip that shows a stagnation in China’s advancement in semiconductor technology, as it still relies on the 7nm-class process, according to Bloomberg, citing TechInsights. Although this may suffice for smartphone functionality, it poses potential challenges for the development of Huawei’s AI processors.

Continuing with 7nm

The Huawei Mate 70 Pro features the HiSilicon Kirin 9020 processor, which SMIC produces using its second-generation 7nm-class process technology, known as N+2. The Kirin 9020, an enhanced iteration of its predecessor, has a 15% larger die size (136.6mm²) and an altered layout designed to improve performance and energy efficiency. It maintains certain design elements like the ‘Hi36C0’ and ‘GFCV110’ package markings, but introduces new identifiers such as ‘WH231203’ on the die, hinting at a refined version of the previous architecture rather than a completely new design.

Interestingly, the original HiSilicon Kirin 9000 processor was manufactured on TSMC’s EUV-enabled N7+ node back in 2020, potentially giving it a slight edge over the 2024 application processor in certain respects.

TechInsights had anticipated that Huawei would employ its HiSilicon Kirin 9100 processor made on a 5nm-class fabrication process for its latest flagship smartphone. Yet, the firm opted for a more cautious approach, continuing with the N+2 process instead of moving to N+3 (believed to be a 6nm-class node) or a 5nm-class technology.

The fact that SMIC still manages to manufacture chips using its second-generation 7nm-class process in large quantities shows resilience despite significant restrictions. Nevertheless, the slow pace of technological advancements suggests that SMIC’s pace of innovation may be decelerating.

Deceleration in SMIC’s Innovation

There were rumors that Huawei was developing a 5nm processor for release this year, as reported by Bloomberg and TechInsights. However, due to SMIC’s limited access to advanced lithography tools from ASML owing to export bans, progress has been hindered. Consequently, Huawei is not expected to achieve 5nm production until at least 2026, assuming adoption of the N+3 node in 2025, according to Bloomberg.

By that time, TSMC is projected to have introduced its second-generation 2nm-class technology, known as N2P, featuring gate-all-around (GAA) nanosheet transistors, along with its brand-new A16 production node with GAA transistors and a backside power delivery network. This development would place TSMC three to four generations ahead of SMIC.

A Major Challenge for AI

Currently, the Huawei Mate 70 Pro, powered by the Kirin 9020 processor, remains competitive as the SoC offers adequate performance for a smartphone. However, SMIC’s slow progress in advancing its process technologies could significantly impact Huawei’s Ascend 900-series processors for AI applications.

The upcoming HiSilicon Ascend 910C is expected to utilize SMIC’s N+3 node (6nm-class) and is slated for release in 2025. Given the marginal improvements of 6nm over 7nm nodes, it is unlikely that the Ascend 910C will be much faster than the Ascend 910B, a simplified version of the 2020 Ascend 910 designed to rival Nvidia’s A100. Consequently, Huawei’s AI processing capabilities will lag two generations behind Nvidia’s by 2025, with Nvidia planning to launch its Blackwell-series processors next year.

While Huawei could potentially build massive AI datacenters filled with hundreds of thousands or even millions of Ascend 910-series processors by 2025 to train competitive large language models, the question remains: how long can Huawei remain competitive using this strategy?