In the past years, China has come to the fore mostly with Western companies copying their products. These cheaper products would naturally undermine sales of the originals and eventually result in copyright lawsuits.
After developing its own technology network and developing exemplary innovations, China, however, was helpless in the face of the US embargo. Although studies are carried out with the support of billions of dollars of the state, it goes to a certain extent. In the end, it’s back to copying.
TSMC copy in China
An ASIC chip produced by SMIC in the 7nm process for the MinerVa mining company aroused great curiosity. The biggest reason for this curiosity was that SMIC company had equipment that could only produce in the 14nm process due to the embargo.
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Sources examining the components of the chip actually encountered an exact copy of the TSMC process. It is a question of how SMIC can access this process. Compared to Intel, TSMC and Samsung, it is judged to be a 7nm DUV process. It can be said that it is a process at least two generations ago, as casting giants are already producing in the 7nm+ EUV process. Presumably, he was able to gain access to these devices in the Chinese market of second-hand casting machines.
It is stated that SMIC will further develop the 7nm process, albeit a copy. Thus, Chinese chip designers like HiSilicon, who were injured by the embargo, can become assertive again, and Huawei will benefit greatly from this.