The largest Chinese manufacturer of microcircuits, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC), according to Chinese sources, was able to bring the percentage of yield of suitable products manufactured at 14 nm standards to 95%.
However, some industry observers have expressed doubts about the veracity of these reports, especially since they do not come from the manufacturer itself. Doubts are based on the fact that the share of 14nm products in the total production of SMIC is still too small.
In the last quarter of 2020, sales of microcircuits manufactured at 14 and 28 nm norms accounted for only 5% of SMIC’s total revenue. In the third quarter, their share was 15%. At the same time, the company shipped about the same number of plates (1.4 million), but earned less ($ 980 million). Given the decline in revenue, it is unlikely that the yield rate has increased.
On the other hand, if the yield information is correct, it means that the company is ready to move to tighter regulations. The next step is 10nm technology, but the Chinese company is believed to be moving straight to 7nm technology. This is done to ensure the release of the advanced element base required by Huawei Technologies, which has come under pressure from the United States and is deprived of the opportunity to purchase modern microcircuits from foreign suppliers.
At the same time, the ability of SMIC to master more subtle norms is hindered by the same pressure from the United States. The company is blacklisted by the US Department of Commerce and cannot purchase advanced equipment. While it was recently revealed that ASML and SMIC have extended their equipment supply contract until the end of 2021, it looks like SMIC will only be able to expand semiconductor manufacturing through mature manufacturing processes.
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