SMIC has copied TSMC's 7nm node, and this could cost them a lawsuit
SMIC began preparing for the move to the 7nm node several years ago, a target that the well-known Chinese semiconductor maker appears to have met without incident.
However, when we pause to look at the results of this process, we notice that there are critical details that indicate we are not dealing with a 7nm node, and according to a reverse engineering investigation, the Chinese company has replicated points TSMC's 7nm node key.
We have spoken extremely essential things in a direct manner, so we will pause and go into all of these keys to better comprehend what is going on. According to a TechInsights report, the 7nm fabricated chips supplied by SMIC and found in the MinerVa Bitcoin Miner have clear indications of being a close copy of TSMC's 7nm node, but they do not reach the level of the Taiwanese giant's process, an important detail that confirms that it is not possible to catch up with a large when it comes to semiconductor manufacturing.
Although it is a close copy, the source of this information verifies that TSMC, Samsung, and Intel all have 7nm production nodes that are significantly more advanced than SMIC's 7nm node and that it is actually two nodes behind despite the Chinese company's name. If we start with the 7nm node and move back two jumps using only the most commonly used manufacturing procedures, we will arrive at the 12nm node.
SMIC's method is not a pure 7nm process, but it could serve as a first step in helping the Chinese business build a true 7nm node. However, it should be noted that the system in which the "7nm" SoC manufactured by SMIC was used is intended for mining and contains a total of 120 chips. Because this type of equipment can employ less sophisticated semiconductors and does not require a production node as advanced and complex as a high-performance CPU or GPU, SMIC has figured out how to play its cards perfectly.
We'll have to wait and see how this node evolves in the next years, as well as whether TSMC decides to sue SMIC for stealing its 7nm node. The Taiwanese corporation had sued the Chinese company in 2002 and 2006 for stealing its manufacturing technologies, thus a court struggle between the two cannot be ruled out.
Post by Bryan C.
