Huawei officially established the HiSilicon Semiconductor Department in 2004 to specialize in chip research and development. At that time, Huawei realized the importance of mastering independent technology very early. HiSilicon lived up to expectations. In subsequent research and development, it successively brought series of chips such as Kirin, Kunpeng, Lingxiao, Barong, Shengteng, and Honghu.
These chips are deployed in mobile phone processors, servers, WiFi, smart screens, basebands, base stations, etc. It can be said that many of Huawei's products are independently designed. Finally, the designed chip is handed over to TSMC for foundry. But problems also arise.
Huawei, which only has design capabilities, is like talking on paper. When TSMC is not allowed to help its production, it will fall into passivity.
It is worth mentioning that five undergraduates have previously completed the design and tape-out of a 64-bit RISC-V processor SoC chip. This chip is called the "hardest diploma." The average age of these five undergraduates is only 21.8 years old.
It is reported that this chip took 4 months to produce and the chip can run the Linux operating system normally. Judging from their age, they will definitely have great achievements in the future. Now they also have their own jobs and continue to participate in the design of high-performance chips. However, five undergraduates were able to successfully make the chip. So where is the Huawei chip stuck?
In fact, these five undergraduate students were involved in the design of the chip. They did not go to the chip factory to do the work in person, and it was impossible to use photolithography equipment and chip process technology to complete the manufacturing of this chip. But judging from their age and level, they are already very good among their peers.
The real problem with Huawei’s chips is chip manufacturing. If it’s just about design, Huawei HiSilicon can be ranked among the top five in the world. So what’s so difficult about chip manufacturing?
Lithography machine
The first is the lithography machine. If Huawei wants to manufacture its own chips, it must solve the problem of the lithography machine. And it is not an ordinary lithography machine. Considering that Huawei Kirin 9000 uses a 5nm process, it requires an EUV lithography machine. The only company in the world that can produce EUV lithography machines is the Dutch ASML.
ASML currently does not have the conditions to supply EUV lithography machines to the country, and it basically has no inventory. Every time it produces one, it will be ordered by TSMC and Samsung. It is basically impossible to count on obtaining EUV lithography machines from ASML.
If we rely on independent production of lithography machines, judging from the level of the highest domestic 22nm lithography machines, it may take ten years to reach EUV level.
If the problem of the photolithography machine cannot be solved, it will be impossible to complete the manufacturing of the chip. In the end, Huawei, which did not have the manufacturing conditions, could only rely on TSMC to manufacture its products.
Materials
Secondly, there are materials in the stuck place. There are many materials used to make chips, such as photoresist. Photoresist is applied to the surface of the silicon wafer in liquid form and then dried into a film. It is an important material to use before manufacturing chips. It has the advantages of etching resistance and heat resistance stability.
However, photoresist chip materials are basically monopolized by the Japanese market, and Japanese companies monopolize 75% of the global photoresist market. If the photoresist supply problem cannot be solved, it will be impossible to complete the chip manufacturing work. However, breaking the monopoly has not yet been achieved.
Process technology
Another more critical thing is the chip process technology. Only by mastering the high-end chip manufacturing process can you use high-end photolithography machines, photoresists, etching machines, etc. to manufacture chips. equipment and material components.
SMIC, my country’s most technologically advanced and largest chip manufacturing company, only masters the 14nm process, while TSMC has stabilized mass production of 5nm and is launching an attack on 3nm. The process technology is like the technical level gap between junior engineers and senior engineers.
Even if a junior engineer masters high-end equipment and has all the conditions to produce high-end products, manufacturing will not be possible without that technology.
Judging from the above photolithography machines, chip material photoresist and process technology, there is still a long way to go before reaching the most advanced level.
Where is Huawei stuck? The answer is obvious. It's stuck in technology, and the domestic basic industry has not yet reached the top level.
However, our country is already accelerating the layout of the semiconductor industry. One day, these stuck technologies will break through one by one, allowing Huawei to break through as soon as possible.
What do you think is the difficulty in chip manufacturing? Welcome to leave a message below to share.