Chinese technology company Huawei says it has developed a new method to produce semiconductors, which could allow it to make advanced chips within a few years without using ASML’s most sophisticated machines.
Due to pressure from the United States, ASML has not been allowed to export its EUV machines to China for some time. Western governments fear the technology could be used for military purposes. Huawei has also faced years of Western sanctions over concerns about digital espionage.
Speaking at a conference on Monday, He Tingbo, head of Huawei’s chip division, said the company aims to produce next-generation 1.4-nanometre chips by 2031. If achieved, this would mark a significant effort to catch up with industry leaders. Taiwanese company TSMC, the current market leader, expects to begin mass production of chips at this level in 2028.
Until now, experts have believed that EUV (extreme ultraviolet) machines are essential for producing smaller and more powerful semiconductors. These machines, made by ASML, are as large as a bus and cost hundreds of millions of euros, making them among the most expensive tools in the industry.
Huawei has not explained how it plans to achieve this without EUV technology. However, He noted that the company has designed and produced 381 chips over the past six years. The Shenzhen-based company has also filed patents suggesting it is experimenting with SAQP, a technique that involves etching lines onto wafers multiple times to improve performance.
@anp | NEWS BRAINPORT
