Chinese semiconductors are two to three generations behind their rivals.
Under the impact of U.S. sanctions, China’s semiconductor advanced process development has slowed. According to Japanese media survey of seven major Chinese semiconductor equipment manufacturers, most admitted that currently mainly produce 14~28nm chips, lagging behind rivals by at least 2~3 generations.
Taiwan’s “Science and Technology Newsline” reported on May 10 that according to a survey conducted by the Nihon Keizai Shimbun on several Chinese semiconductor companies at the “2021 China International Semiconductor Exhibition” held in March this year, seven of the companies were interviewed and responded to questions. Most of the respondents admitted that the pace of China’s advanced semiconductor processes has slowed, and that U.S. sanctions have hampered their ability to source parts and materials from abroad, while using domestic products as substitutes would reduce finished product yields.
As the only commercial lithography manufacturer in China, engineers at Shanghai Microelectronics Equipment (SMEE) said that the lithography machines they make are mainly for 90nm, and there is a lot of room for improvement in terms of yields at 28nm and 14nm.
A researcher at Amicro Semiconductor Equipment Corporation (AMEC) said the company can provide machines for 5nm processes, but mainly sells machines for 14nm and 28nm processes. AMEC was one of the first companies to list on the Shanghai Stock Exchange’s Science and Technology Board (STAR) and is ahead of other Chinese companies in terms of micro technology.
Beijing E-Town, another manufacturer responsible for etching technology, mainly produces machines for 40nm and 28nm processes.
Only AMEC in China has managed to develop a machine for the 5nm process, while other companies are producing 14nm or older products, the report said. In addition, the chip drought sweeping the world has already hit China, and U.S. sanctions could make the situation worse.
Product development will be a problem when we don’t have access to the core parts,” said SMEE engineers; Shenyang Core Source (Kingsemi) employees also said it has been difficult to bring in technology from abroad in the past few years, and they had to find their own answers to the problem.
The shortage of semiconductor components, materials and manufacturing equipment under U.S. sanctions has further dragged down the performance of China’s semiconductor foundries.
According to SMIC’s 4Q2020 earnings report, 14nm and 28nm chips dropped sharply to 5% from 14.6% in Q3.
U.S. research firm IC Insights estimates that China’s semiconductor self-sufficiency rate will be 19.4% by 2025; more than half of this ratio is provided by Taiwan’s TSMC, South Korea’s SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics, or an estimated 10% if the self-sufficiency ratio involves only Chinese manufacturers.
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