A current report by The Miner Magazine suggests bitcoin mining orders may need sped up Huawei’s improvement of its new Kirin smartphone chip. The chip, which powers Huawei’s new Mate 60 Professional smartphone, was produced by China’s Semiconductor Manufacturing Worldwide Corp. (SMIC) utilizing its N+2 7nm course of.
Analysis Suggests Bitcoin Mining Boosted Huawei’s Chip Improvement, Lowering China’s Dependence on Western Tech
The Miner Magazine reported that bitcoin mining firms have been among the many first to purchase SMIC’s N+1 course of, ordering wafers and offering the amount that helped SMIC enhance its 7nm manufacturing. The Miner Magazine is a weblog and knowledge publication by Blocksbridge Consulting specializing in the bitcoin mining business.
Guess who was among the many first batch of firms that did tape-out and manufacturing on SMIC’s N+1 7-nm chips that later proved to energy Huawei’s comeback?#bitcoin https://t.co/XXbBMWxdvw pic.twitter.com/MHxvcaDaXn
— TheMinerMag (@TheMinerMag_) September 4, 2023
The examine notes that Huawei has confronted challenges accessing superior chip manufacturing because it was added to a U.S. commerce blacklist in 2019. After its earlier provider, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), was minimize off, Huawei turned to SMIC to provide its new Kirin chip. Nevertheless, SMIC initially couldn’t produce superior 7nm chips.
The report says firms like bitcoin miner maker Canaan began creating chip designs on SMIC’s first-generation 7nm N+1 course of in late 2020. Canaan’s quantity orders reportedly helped SMIC’s yield charge for the N+1 chips exceed 90%. Different bitcoin miner producers, together with Innosilicon and Miner-VA, additionally used SMIC’s N+1 course of, the researcher stated.
The examine signifies the rising orders from bitcoin miners helped SMIC refine its 7nm manufacturing capabilities. This may need sped up Huawei’s improvement of its new Kirin chip utilizing SMIC’s enhanced N+2 course of. Whereas it’s exhausting to measure bitcoin mining’s actual impression, Miner Magazine’s findings emphasize that miners have been early patrons and constant prospects for SMIC’s rising 7nm manufacturing.
Their orders have been important in serving to deal with issues and enhance yields. The report concludes that this hands-on expertise doubtless aided China’s SMIC in producing Huawei’s superior new smartphone processor. The report factors out that SMIC’s 7nm developments have important implications for lowering China’s dependence on Western chip applied sciences.
