China is far behind in computer chips

China’s largest computer chip maker is Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC). They makes chips to order but use a 28-nanometer process technology. This is several generations behind Taiwan Semiconductor and Intel. TSMC is preparing to make 5nm chips by 2020 and 3nm chips planned for 2022. Intel is working on 10nm technology.

Tsinghua Unigroup, the National Integrated Circuits Industry Fund and the Hubei provincial government, have invested US$24 billion to establish Yangtze Memory Technologies. In November, 2017 they unveiled a 32-layer 3D NAND flash memory chip. NAND chips can store data without being powered and are in laptops.

Yangtze Memory is developing a 64-layer NAND chip. Global leaders Samsung, Hynix and Micron of the US are currently developing 72-layer NAND chips.

100 thoughts on “China is far behind in computer chips”

  1. No worries, just like with the Soviet Union, they will steal the technology, try to reverse engineer it and make a poor copy of it, sell it for a reduced price. They’ve been doing that for years. Not just computer chips, but a LOT of military hardware looks like knock offs of the west.

  2. Taiwan, yes. But not mainland China. The Taiwanese semiconductor foundries jealously guard their technology from the mainland (even though TSMC has several 300mm fabs in mainland China).

  3. Yes, China has a ways to go before they catch up with the leading edge semiconductor technology. No doubt they will certainly do so. But it will take a good 5-10 years for them to get there. The Chinese have a ways to go before they are able to make state of the art jet engines as well.

  4. No worries just like with the Soviet Union they will steal the technology try to reverse engineer it and make a poor copy of it sell it for a reduced price. They’ve been doing that for years. Not just computer chips but a LOT of military hardware looks like knock offs of the west.

  5. Taiwan yes. But not mainland China. The Taiwanese semiconductor foundries jealously guard their technology from the mainland (even though TSMC has several 300mm fabs in mainland China).

  6. Yes China has a ways to go before they catch up with the leading edge semiconductor technology. No doubt they will certainly do so. But it will take a good 5-10 years for them to get there. The Chinese have a ways to go before they are able to make state of the art jet engines as well.

  7. They don’t have ways to go, they catched up already Google just these 3 recent developments “Huawei debuts Kirin 980, the World’s first 7nm mobile chip” “China has fixed improved WS-15 engine so J-20 stealth fighter will start mass production” “China in talks for sale of jet engine technology to Germany” – If they’re selling to Germany, obviously they’ve got something at least as good as EU tech, and it was in January. Second story, WS-15 breakthrough is very recent, from this month.

  8. China is in a unique position being able to see the whole instruction set ecosystem already develop, and being able to learn fro other’s mistakes. All the knowledge from developing mainframes, assorted RISC-esque ISA’s is functionally available to them. They already have access to ARM and MIPS and RISC-V, there are allegations that certain chips have DEC-Alpha characteristics not long after a huge IP theft from DEC’s japan office, and tons of microcontrollers. They have the technology, they can build it. But first they need to build the fabs, and that’s obnoxious. We’ve seen all the major global fabs struggling with EUV lithography and 15nm or less fab processes. Once the chinese have 10nm fabs domestically with large outputs, then their entire electronics industry can switch over to domestic designs wholesale. That recent AMD deal means effectively AMD type x86 is in their hands now as well. In some ways the semiconductor designs in russia not proliferating is a sad note, but the western hegemony of chip design may end, allowing new designs to bloom.

  9. They don’t have ways to go they catched up already Google just these 3 recent developments Huawei debuts Kirin 980″” the World’s first 7nm mobile chip””””””China has fixed improved WS-15 engine so J-20 stealth fighter will start mass production””””””””China in talks for sale of jet engine technology to Germany”””” – If they’re selling to Germany”” obviously they’ve got something at least as good as EU tech and it was in January. Second story WS-15 breakthrough is very recent”” from this month.”””

  10. China is in a unique position being able to see the whole instruction set ecosystem already develop and being able to learn fro other’s mistakes. All the knowledge from developing mainframes assorted RISC-esque ISA’s is functionally available to them. They already have access to ARM and MIPS and RISC-V there are allegations that certain chips have DEC-Alpha characteristics not long after a huge IP theft from DEC’s japan office and tons of microcontrollers. They have the technology they can build it. But first they need to build the fabs and that’s obnoxious. We’ve seen all the major global fabs struggling with EUV lithography and 15nm or less fab processes. Once the chinese have 10nm fabs domestically with large outputs then their entire electronics industry can switch over to domestic designs wholesale. That recent AMD deal means effectively AMD type x86 is in their hands now as well.In some ways the semiconductor designs in russia not proliferating is a sad note but the western hegemony of chip design may end allowing new designs to bloom.

  11. Intel wanted to roll out 10nm chips 5 years ago, their time table keeps slipping further and further into the future and investors are punishing them for it. Should have bought AMD shares.

  12. Easily fixed by simply invading and taking Taiwan, then. Oh wait! Next Big China can’t do it or as they would have already.

  13. Intel wanted to roll out 10nm chips 5 years ago their time table keeps slipping further and further into the future and investors are punishing them for it. Should have bought AMD shares.

  14. Easily fixed by simply invading and taking Taiwan then.Oh wait! Next Big China can’t do it or as they would have already.

  15. Extremely poorly written article 10 NM and under requires EUV technology, that is patented by ASML EUV technology uses ultraviolet light to etch substrates and is necessary for 10nm and under chips TSM leads not because they were the first to purchase EUV from ASML, followed by Samsung and Intel These are the only 3 companies that currently have EUV photolithography machines The orders from ASML are backed up, But China’s SMIC has already ordered EUV and are set to receive it in 2019

  16. Extremely poorly written article10 NM and under requires EUV technology that is patented by ASMLEUV technology uses ultraviolet light to etch substrates and is necessary for 10nm and under chipsTSM leads not because they were the first to purchase EUV from ASML followed by Samsung and Intel These are the only 3 companies that currently have EUV photolithography machinesThe orders from ASML are backed up But China’s SMIC has already ordered EUV and are set to receive it in 2019

  17. The microchip is a pattern, of thousands upon thousands of transistors this pattern needs to be placed on the microchip, this process is called etching Definition: Etch cut or carve (a text or design) on a surface. I worded it poorly the EUV etches the photoresist The actual process is they put a layer of photo resist, photoresist either breaks down or strengthens when the UV light strikes it in a particular location. Then typically a acid is used so that the areas that don’t get hit by the UV light are protected by the photoresist, while areas that are not protected end up getting indentations. Copper is then run along these indentations to create the circuit.

  18. I wouldn’t mind a chinese semiconductor explosion. The rotten current dominant cartel players deserve it. They maintain an artificial scarcity so that they can sell memory at 4 or more times the price. Probably making good processors is a tough challenge, but I can imagine cheap Chinese flash memory (and maybe RAM) happening.

  19. The microchip is a pattern of thousands upon thousands of transistorsthis pattern needs to be placed on the microchip this process is called etchingDefinition: Etchcut or carve (a text or design) on a surface.I worded it poorly the EUV etches the photoresist The actual process is they put a layer of photo resist photoresist either breaks down or strengthens when the UV light strikes it in a particular location. Then typically a acid is used so that the areas that don’t get hit by the UV light are protected by the photoresist while areas that are not protected end up getting indentations. Copper is then run along these indentations to create the circuit.

  20. I wouldn’t mind a chinese semiconductor explosion. The rotten current dominant cartel players deserve it. They maintain an artificial scarcity so that they can sell memory at 4 or more times the price.Probably making good processors is a tough challenge but I can imagine cheap Chinese flash memory (and maybe RAM) happening.

  21. The microchip is a pattern, of thousands upon thousands of transistors this pattern needs to be placed on the microchip, this process is called etching Definition: Etch cut or carve (a text or design) on a surface. I worded it poorly the EUV etches the photoresist The actual process is they put a layer of photo resist, photoresist either breaks down or strengthens when the UV light strikes it in a particular location. Then typically a acid is used so that the areas that don’t get hit by the UV light are protected by the photoresist, while areas that are not protected end up getting indentations. Copper is then run along these indentations to create the circuit.

  22. The microchip is a pattern of thousands upon thousands of transistorsthis pattern needs to be placed on the microchip this process is called etchingDefinition: Etchcut or carve (a text or design) on a surface.I worded it poorly the EUV etches the photoresist The actual process is they put a layer of photo resist photoresist either breaks down or strengthens when the UV light strikes it in a particular location. Then typically a acid is used so that the areas that don’t get hit by the UV light are protected by the photoresist while areas that are not protected end up getting indentations. Copper is then run along these indentations to create the circuit.

  23. I wouldn’t mind a chinese semiconductor explosion. The rotten current dominant cartel players deserve it. They maintain an artificial scarcity so that they can sell memory at 4 or more times the price. Probably making good processors is a tough challenge, but I can imagine cheap Chinese flash memory (and maybe RAM) happening.

  24. I wouldn’t mind a chinese semiconductor explosion. The rotten current dominant cartel players deserve it. They maintain an artificial scarcity so that they can sell memory at 4 or more times the price.Probably making good processors is a tough challenge but I can imagine cheap Chinese flash memory (and maybe RAM) happening.

  25. Extremely poorly written article 10 NM and under requires EUV technology, that is patented by ASML EUV technology uses ultraviolet light to etch substrates and is necessary for 10nm and under chips TSM leads not because they were the first to purchase EUV from ASML, followed by Samsung and Intel These are the only 3 companies that currently have EUV photolithography machines The orders from ASML are backed up, But China’s SMIC has already ordered EUV and are set to receive it in 2019

  26. Extremely poorly written article10 NM and under requires EUV technology that is patented by ASMLEUV technology uses ultraviolet light to etch substrates and is necessary for 10nm and under chipsTSM leads not because they were the first to purchase EUV from ASML followed by Samsung and Intel These are the only 3 companies that currently have EUV photolithography machinesThe orders from ASML are backed up But China’s SMIC has already ordered EUV and are set to receive it in 2019

  27. The microchip is a pattern, of thousands upon thousands of transistors

    this pattern needs to be placed on the microchip, this process is called etching

    Definition: Etch

    cut or carve (a text or design) on a surface.

    I worded it poorly the EUV etches the photoresist
    The actual process is they put a layer of photo resist, photoresist either breaks down or strengthens when the UV light strikes it in a particular location. Then typically a acid is used so that the areas that don’t get hit by the UV light are protected by the photoresist, while areas that are not protected end up getting indentations. Copper is then run along these indentations to create the circuit.

  28. I wouldn’t mind a chinese semiconductor explosion. The rotten current dominant cartel players deserve it. They maintain an artificial scarcity so that they can sell memory at 4 or more times the price.

    Probably making good processors is a tough challenge, but I can imagine cheap Chinese flash memory (and maybe RAM) happening.

  29. Intel wanted to roll out 10nm chips 5 years ago, their time table keeps slipping further and further into the future and investors are punishing them for it. Should have bought AMD shares.

  30. Intel wanted to roll out 10nm chips 5 years ago their time table keeps slipping further and further into the future and investors are punishing them for it. Should have bought AMD shares.

  31. Easily fixed by simply invading and taking Taiwan, then. Oh wait! Next Big China can’t do it or as they would have already.

  32. Easily fixed by simply invading and taking Taiwan then.Oh wait! Next Big China can’t do it or as they would have already.

  33. Extremely poorly written article

    10 NM and under requires EUV technology, that is patented by ASML

    EUV technology uses ultraviolet light to etch substrates and is necessary for 10nm and under chips

    TSM leads not because they were the first to purchase EUV from ASML, followed by Samsung and Intel

    These are the only 3 companies that currently have EUV photolithography machines

    The orders from ASML are backed up, But China’s SMIC has already ordered EUV and are set to receive it in 2019

  34. They don’t have ways to go, they catched up already Google just these 3 recent developments “Huawei debuts Kirin 980, the World’s first 7nm mobile chip” “China has fixed improved WS-15 engine so J-20 stealth fighter will start mass production” “China in talks for sale of jet engine technology to Germany” – If they’re selling to Germany, obviously they’ve got something at least as good as EU tech, and it was in January. Second story, WS-15 breakthrough is very recent, from this month.

  35. They don’t have ways to go they catched up already Google just these 3 recent developments Huawei debuts Kirin 980″” the World’s first 7nm mobile chip””””””China has fixed improved WS-15 engine so J-20 stealth fighter will start mass production””””””””China in talks for sale of jet engine technology to Germany”””” – If they’re selling to Germany”” obviously they’ve got something at least as good as EU tech and it was in January. Second story WS-15 breakthrough is very recent”” from this month.”””

  36. China is in a unique position being able to see the whole instruction set ecosystem already develop, and being able to learn fro other’s mistakes. All the knowledge from developing mainframes, assorted RISC-esque ISA’s is functionally available to them. They already have access to ARM and MIPS and RISC-V, there are allegations that certain chips have DEC-Alpha characteristics not long after a huge IP theft from DEC’s japan office, and tons of microcontrollers. They have the technology, they can build it. But first they need to build the fabs, and that’s obnoxious. We’ve seen all the major global fabs struggling with EUV lithography and 15nm or less fab processes. Once the chinese have 10nm fabs domestically with large outputs, then their entire electronics industry can switch over to domestic designs wholesale. That recent AMD deal means effectively AMD type x86 is in their hands now as well. In some ways the semiconductor designs in russia not proliferating is a sad note, but the western hegemony of chip design may end, allowing new designs to bloom.

  37. China is in a unique position being able to see the whole instruction set ecosystem already develop and being able to learn fro other’s mistakes. All the knowledge from developing mainframes assorted RISC-esque ISA’s is functionally available to them. They already have access to ARM and MIPS and RISC-V there are allegations that certain chips have DEC-Alpha characteristics not long after a huge IP theft from DEC’s japan office and tons of microcontrollers. They have the technology they can build it. But first they need to build the fabs and that’s obnoxious. We’ve seen all the major global fabs struggling with EUV lithography and 15nm or less fab processes. Once the chinese have 10nm fabs domestically with large outputs then their entire electronics industry can switch over to domestic designs wholesale. That recent AMD deal means effectively AMD type x86 is in their hands now as well.In some ways the semiconductor designs in russia not proliferating is a sad note but the western hegemony of chip design may end allowing new designs to bloom.

  38. No worries, just like with the Soviet Union, they will steal the technology, try to reverse engineer it and make a poor copy of it, sell it for a reduced price. They’ve been doing that for years. Not just computer chips, but a LOT of military hardware looks like knock offs of the west.

  39. No worries just like with the Soviet Union they will steal the technology try to reverse engineer it and make a poor copy of it sell it for a reduced price. They’ve been doing that for years. Not just computer chips but a LOT of military hardware looks like knock offs of the west.

  40. Taiwan, yes. But not mainland China. The Taiwanese semiconductor foundries jealously guard their technology from the mainland (even though TSMC has several 300mm fabs in mainland China).

  41. Taiwan yes. But not mainland China. The Taiwanese semiconductor foundries jealously guard their technology from the mainland (even though TSMC has several 300mm fabs in mainland China).

  42. Yes, China has a ways to go before they catch up with the leading edge semiconductor technology. No doubt they will certainly do so. But it will take a good 5-10 years for them to get there. The Chinese have a ways to go before they are able to make state of the art jet engines as well.

  43. Yes China has a ways to go before they catch up with the leading edge semiconductor technology. No doubt they will certainly do so. But it will take a good 5-10 years for them to get there. The Chinese have a ways to go before they are able to make state of the art jet engines as well.

  44. Intel wanted to roll out 10nm chips 5 years ago, their time table keeps slipping further and further into the future and investors are punishing them for it.

    Should have bought AMD shares.

  45. They don’t have ways to go, they catched up already

    Google just these 3 recent developments

    “Huawei debuts Kirin 980, the World’s first 7nm mobile chip”

    “China has fixed improved WS-15 engine so J-20 stealth fighter will start mass production”

    “China in talks for sale of jet engine technology to Germany” – If they’re selling to Germany, obviously they’ve got something at least as good as EU tech, and it was in January. Second story, WS-15 breakthrough is very recent, from this month.

  46. China is in a unique position being able to see the whole instruction set ecosystem already develop, and being able to learn fro other’s mistakes. All the knowledge from developing mainframes, assorted RISC-esque ISA’s is functionally available to them. They already have access to ARM and MIPS and RISC-V, there are allegations that certain chips have DEC-Alpha characteristics not long after a huge IP theft from DEC’s japan office, and tons of microcontrollers.

    They have the technology, they can build it. But first they need to build the fabs, and that’s obnoxious. We’ve seen all the major global fabs struggling with EUV lithography and 15nm or less fab processes. Once the chinese have 10nm fabs domestically with large outputs, then their entire electronics industry can switch over to domestic designs wholesale. That recent AMD deal means effectively AMD type x86 is in their hands now as well.

    In some ways the semiconductor designs in russia not proliferating is a sad note, but the western hegemony of chip design may end, allowing new designs to bloom.

  47. No worries, just like with the Soviet Union, they will steal the technology, try to reverse engineer it and make a poor copy of it, sell it for a reduced price. They’ve been doing that for years. Not just computer chips, but a LOT of military hardware looks like knock offs of the west.

  48. Taiwan, yes. But not mainland China. The Taiwanese semiconductor foundries jealously guard their technology from the mainland (even though TSMC has several 300mm fabs in mainland China).

  49. Yes, China has a ways to go before they catch up with the leading edge semiconductor technology. No doubt they will certainly do so. But it will take a good 5-10 years for them to get there.

    The Chinese have a ways to go before they are able to make state of the art jet engines as well.

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