Rumor: Huawei is the first to use TSMC chip production with euv

According to a rumor, the Chinese manufacturer Huawei is the first to have chips produced on TSMC’s EUV processes. It is initially about 7nm+ production and later about 5nm. EUV production at 7nm should start at the beginning of 2019.

The rumor comes from a Chinese publication, Digitimes reports. In August last year, Huawei announced its first 7nm soc, the Kirin 980. It is possible that the first soc of the Chinese manufacturer to be made with euv on the 7nm + process is its successor. Huawei is still experiencing great growth. In 2018, the company shipped 200 million smartphones, 30 percent more than the year before.

HiSilicon, the chip division of Huawei, already has its chips made by TSMC. High-end socs, for example, are made using the current 7nm process, where no euv is used yet. Manufacturers such as AMD, Apple and Nvidia also have their chips made at TSMC.

TSMC uses euv for four layers at 7nm+, fourteen layers at 5nm. Mass production of the 7nm euv chips should start in the first quarter of 2019 and volume production on 5nm is expected in 2020. The 5nm test production will start in April next year. Samsung also uses euv in its 7nm process, the South Korean manufacturer started this in October. However, Samsung expects to be able to supply such chips in large volumes only in 2020.

Machines from the Veldhoven company ASML are used for chip production with euv. This uses extreme ultraviolet light to create small patterns with a single exposure. As technology progresses, euv must be used for more and more layers.