Chinese semiconductor industry

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ansy1968

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@krautmeister bro NVIDIA acquisition of ARM may not push thru not because of Chinese regulators but of UK and US, there seems to be a lot of resistance coming from the US tech company.

Nvidia Reportedly Seeks Chinese Approval of Arm Acquisition​

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1 day ago
Delayed start
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Nvidia, Arm

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

China might be the last country to weigh in on Nvidia’s proposed acquisition of Arm. The Financial Times today
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that Nvidia “submitted an application to Chinese competition regulators” to review the proposal ”in recent weeks” even though
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was officially revealed to the public in September 2020.

It’s not clear why Nvidia started the approval process in China almost nine months after it announced its plan to acquire Arm from SoftBank—especially since Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang
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in April that he expected the deal to close in 18 months. The Financial Times said it could take that long to receive China’s approval.
Assuming “in recent weeks” means some time after GTC 2021, the purportedly late submission to Chinese regulators could delay the acquisition’s closing to 2023, assuming the deal is approved. That‘s later than Huang predicted just a few months ago, and the controversial nature of the deal could stretch the regulatory approval process. Huang has remarked that he expects the merger to close within the expected timeframe.

Not that China is the acquisition’s only obstacle. The UK Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport asked the Competition and Markets Authority to
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in April, and companies like Qualcomm, Microsoft, and Google have reportedly
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to US regulators as well.


In this, it seems Chinese tech companies are aligned with their Western counterparts. The Financial Times said that Huawei’s chip company, HiSilicon, as well as Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, have opposed the deal. (Probably at least partly because
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on their businesses.)

It’s entirely possible that regulators around the world are going to approve the Nvidia-Arm acquisition faster than most people expect. Nvidia has repeatedly said that it would continue to remain neutral when it comes to licensing Arm technologies to its competitors; maybe that will be enough for the deal to pass.

But it seems unlikely. Arm pioneer Hermann Hauser has already said that technologies like NVLink used in the upcoming
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show that Nvidia
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with Arm licensees, and Citigroup analysts said in April that they’re giving the acquisition
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because of those concerns.
 

daifo

Captain
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Imo, to succeed, China needs to develop a competent RISC-V based or maybe even LoongArch ISA based SoC at 7nm. Then, together with Harmony OS, the supply chain would achieve full independence. Until then, I doubt BBK or Xiaomi would take the risk unless they were directly attacked by American sanctions like Huawei is.

I think after what happen to Huawei, it would be in the best interest of other Chinese electronic companies like BBK and Xiaomi to lay low until the full supply chain is created. They can go about it in another way by creating or investing in separate companies that are using the decouple technologies.
 

krautmeister

Junior Member
Registered Member
I think after what happen to Huawei, it would be in the best interest of other Chinese electronic companies like BBK and Xiaomi to lay low until the full supply chain is created. They can go about it in another way by creating or investing in separate companies that are using the decouple technologies.
Absolutely agree with this. There is no point to push things that aren't yet at critical mass. Once the supply chain is complete at >=14nm, I think US regulators will loosen the sanctions to allow >=14nm equipment into China to damage China's indigenous semiconductor equipment industry. The difference this time is, China will have the entire supply chain, and that supply chain will almost be guaranteed to be significantly less expensive than foreign counterparts. The ever present threat of sanctions at the whim of American politicians and bureaucrats also underlines every purchase decision. For these reasons, I believe China semiconductor equipment will inevitably grab significant market share for every node they have full supply chains available. This is just a matter of time. Why American policy and strategy don't account for this is really a mystery to me.
 

WTAN

Junior Member
Registered Member
@WTAN Sir, if China is able to mass produced a 7nm chip next year and flood the market, I think both BKK and XIAOMI will used Harmony OS, cause with 7nm node it had a chip capable of using it therefore sideswiping any US sanction on both of them.. And a question remain will SMIC mass produced a 7nm Chip since they had the capacity and capability but is forbidden? If they do and sanction is reimposed can SMIC replaced any US tech with local equipment capable of working with ASML DUVL?
Yes.....thats right, once SMIC or other FABS can mass produce a 7nm Chip using a local Production Line, the path is open for Chinese Phone Manufacturers to use the Harmony OS in their products and export it worldwide.
Currently i believe Xiaomi, Oppo etc will stick with Android as they dont want to antagonise Google.
I expect many new startup Chinese Phone Companies will emerge which will exclusively use the Harmony OS in their Phones to sell locally and then expand Overseas. They can use Chips supplied by Qualcomm & Mediatek.
I think that the Harmony OS has got the American Govt worried. The only difference between Harmony OS and Android is that you can't get access to the Apps in the Google Store. Facebook & Youtube etc is available through the Browser and Huawei has its own good Navigation App.
Eventually many Apps available in Play Store will turn up on Huawei Store.
Harmony OS would be popular as an alternative to Android & IOS in many countries outside the USA.

As far as how fast a Localised 7nm Production Line will come about, this depends on the Progress of the ICRD 14nm domestic Trial Line later this year.
Once the 14nm Line is established, the 7nm Line should not be too far away.
If SMIC really wants to push ahead currently with 7nm Production, it can used a mix of Local, Japanese and Second Hand Equipment.
In fact SMICs14nm FAB is probably capable of producing 7nm Chips with minimal changes.
Thats why the Shanghai Local Government has recently been talking about 10-12nm Chip Production. (This is probably camouflage for 7-8nm Chips production so the Americans will not get too excited)
So yes it is possible for SMIC to produce 7nm Chips.
 

ansy1968

Brigadier
Registered Member

From INEWS ( I Think this publication is from the Mainland China)


The domestic 28nm lithography machine, the 7nm SMIC trial production in April, suddenly no news​

2021/06/10 21:45:20

The lithography machine and 7nm chip suddenly disappeared!
In the call for domestic substitution, the frequency of "lithography machine" and "SMIC" should be very high. One is the essential equipment for core making, and the other is the fab with high hopes, but both are facing a difficult dilemma. Imported lithography machines are restricted by the United States, while domestic lithography machines are now known to be 90nm. The 28nm lithography machine that has been talking for a long time passed on and there was no more text. On the other hand, SMIC has no news about the risk of trial production of 7nm this month after chasing the 14nm platform of Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

The domestic 28nm lithography machine, the 7nm SMIC trial production in April, suddenly no news

After obtaining the "mature process" license, SMIC began to expand its 28nm production capacity in Shenzhen, and in the announced plan for this year, it has invested 28.09 billion yuan, of which a large proportion is in mature technology, is 7nm stop Yet?

The domestic 28nm lithography machine, the 7nm SMIC trial production in April, suddenly no news

Domestic semiconductor equipment and SMIC's 7nm​

Take a production line of SMIC as an example. 90% of the equipment is imported, and less than 10% of the domestic equipment. From this we can see the degree of our dependence on the outside world.
Although SMIC now to get the license, and the Netherlands also signed a large single, looking lithography machine seems to be in place, but to know that even the smooth development of lithography into the core of the delivery room, but also a long way, and Lao Mei has not fully let go of SMIC. An insider revealed that even if it is a small part, the United States is not necessarily exported to China, let alone semiconductor equipment such as lithography machines?

What about domestic substitutes? As we mentioned earlier, the known domestic lithography machine is now 90nm, but SMIC has mass-produced 14nm and started to march towards 7nm, which is obviously not enough. Shanghai Microelectronics, which has been rumored before, may deliver a 28nm domestic lithography machine this year, but it seems that there is no more.
Previous official posts about 28nm lithography machines have also been deleted. However, judging from the authoritative articles published last year by the Jiangsu Provincial Development Zone Association and Founder Securities, the words "supporting" and "acceptance" indicate that the domestic 28nm lithography machine seems to be in progress.
On the SMIC side, Liang Mengsong said at the end of last year that it would risk trial production of 7nm in April this year. It is now in the middle, but no news has been seen. Some analysts pointed out that whether it is Shanghai Microelectronics or SMIC, or because of the layers of attack by the United States, they have begun to act low-key and put away their edge, but things are still going on as usual.
The domestic 28nm lithography machine, the 7nm SMIC trial production in April, suddenly no news


The inevitable rise of domestic production​

The current semiconductor market is changing. For example, the European Union and Japan have begun to enter the 2nm field, and By D has invited more than a dozen companies to hold a meeting. In addition to saying that the United States will increase investment in semiconductors, it is to prevent China's transcendence.
Our foundation is relatively weak, but we are already on the way.
Some people say that even if the 28nm lithography machine is delivered, SMIC's 7nm has been successfully trial-produced, but this is still incomparable with the advanced 5nm.
It's such a thing, but it cannot be said so. According to the previous research report released by IC Insights, it shows that even 28nm will occupy a large market. The chief designer of Loongson also said that in addition to mobile phones and other fields that have special requirements for chips, many applications can be used 14/ 28nm is resolved.

The domestic 28nm lithography machine, the 7nm SMIC trial production in April, suddenly no news

Therefore, there is no need to blindly catch up with advanced technology. We are looking forward to overtaking in corners, but we can't overturn in corners, right?
Just like Academician Wu Hanming said, the domestic market is huge, but the production capacity is still 8 times behind SMIC. We should keep up with the advanced technology while stabilizing the production capacity and the market.
After all, if you want to achieve the goal of 70% chip self-sufficiency by 2025, not only a company can do it, nor does it mean that it can succeed in a certain link, but to establish its own industrial chain and form an ecology. Can go more lasting.

The domestic 28nm lithography machine, the 7nm SMIC trial production in April, suddenly no news

In short, both the lithography machine and SMIC's 7nm are on the road. We may still have a certain gap with the advanced technology, but we have been on the road. No one knows what will happen to semiconductors in the future, but what can be seen is that many global production lines are shifting to China, and we are seizing this opportunity!
 

Kancil

New Member
Registered Member
Right on brother! Fight the power!

Must admit, those leftist slogans sure sounds good!


The Huawei 5G was the most important fight, it was really the tech war, this round of it.

There was a lot of strategy involved, a lot of actions by both sides, and they fought over it worldwide. That was not enough and the Huawei vs US government war expanded into semi-conductors. Wars have a tendency to expand. This one was no different for the Americans in that respect.

Goldman wrote another article at Asiatimes, we should all read it and I posted it below.

The funny part, and Goldman being Jewish, he is always funny, he brings up the rumour of a black market in chips and that Huawei is not suppose to get stuff like that!

Well ... like ... duh ... only Jews and Chinese do stuff like that!

:D

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Huawei's Harmony OS cannot compete head on with Google's Android or iOS. It will end up like Samsung's Tizen or Window's mobile. Huawei is mainly positioning Harmony OS in the IoT, smart home appliances, EV autonomous driving, industrial automation with robotics. With sufficient Chinese manufacturers adopting Harmony OS in their products, soon the Chinese market will be flooded with Harmony OS enable devices which would eventually force all smartphones sold in China to adopt Harmony OS so that the phones can seamlessly interact with the smart devices. Likely Apple will be forced to adopt Harmony OS in the Chinese market in order to survive. With so many Chinese smart devices exported overseas, the installed base for Harmony OS will increase further. Google's Android would finally meet a worthy competitor.
 
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