Considering the hassle that Huawei went through in the past year with the US tech ban, the company managed to overcome most challenges. One of the challenges experienced by the company was to produce Kirin chips with cutting-edge manufacturing. As per a new report, this will soon be in the past as the company is expected to enter the 3nm architecture in 2026.
Huawei Enters the 3nm Chip Segment in the Next Year
Currently, Huawei is developing a true 5nm production line without the need for EUV lithography machines. This is already a big advanced as the company was stuck in old manufacturing processes a few years ago. However, the advance won’t stop here as Huawei already has plans for the 3nm generation. According to the new report, the 3 nm chips are already in the R&D stage. The company has plans to start production by 2026.
To clarify, Huawei can’t use the standard EUV technology. After all, the tech patents belong to the Dutch company ASML. As you can imagine, the ban prevents it from working with Huawei. Therefore, the brand needs to use the SSA800 lithography machines with multi-patterning, made by Shanghai Micro Electronics (SMEE). The Research and Development for 3nm chips are following two approaches: One is the GAA architecture (the standard one, used by TSMC and Samsung), and the other is a carbon nanotube-based chip that has already completed lab validation. Now, it is being adapted for SMIC’s production lines.
Huawei Currently Delivers its 7nm/5nm Solution in the Kirin X90
Interestingly, Huawei presented the Huawei Matebook Fold recently. The device came with a new chip dubbed Kirin X90. While the company calls it a “5nm chip”, it has a 7nm design with advanced packaging technology. Its performance is on par with other 5nm chips, but the yield is only 50%, which is extremely low. This makes the chip more expensive to manufacture.
The R&D team is looking at two solutions for the 3nm scenario. One is using GAA architecture (the standard one, used by TSMC and Samsung), and the other is a carbon nanotube-based chip that has already completed lab validation and is now being adapted for SMIC’s production lines.
Time will tell when exactly in 2026 the company will be ready to deliver 3nm chips. It’s promising, but still, it should take time until the first Huawei phones with 3nm chips appear. One thing we know, Huawei is reducing its dependence on other companies every year. As per the rumor, it also plans to launch its mobile camera sensors soon.
