Huawei AI chips may adopt China’s Tongfu HBM2 to rival Nvidia

Chinese chip suppliers are finding ways to boost the country’s AI potential. In a recent attempt, one of the companies (Tongfu) has built HBM2 AI computing components. As of now, it seems Huawei could adopt China’s Tongfu HBM2 for its AI chips.

Tongfu Microelectronics is a Chinese semiconductor company. It is one of the largest chip assembly and test companies in China and focuses on developing advanced packaging for HPC, new energy, automotive electronics, and memory fields.

As reported by NikkeiAsia, Tongfu has now initiated the trial production of high bandwidth memory2 (HBM2) components and Huawei could be the first to use it for AI chips. If the report is accurate, it’ll be a breakthrough in China’s chip sector.

HBM are memory components that quickly store data and transmit them. It is a stack of memory chips, connected via wide channels. This SoC is mainly used for AI computing, graphic cards, data centers, and autonomous vehicles.

China’s AI Potential

NikkeiAsia said that Tongfu is making efforts to improve its packaging abilities, challenging global leaders like SK Hynix, and Samsung. Even though the HBM2 is still 2-3 generations behind Nvidia’s HBM3E (the world’s most powerful AI server), it will act as the strongest pillar to support China’s AI development.

Since Tongfu is one of the main chip suppliers for Huawei, it may supply the tech maker with its HBM2 components for AI chip making. It will likely aid the company in building AI processors amid US sanctions and tougher trade export controls.

Apart from Tongfu, many other chip companies like CXMT and Wuhan Xinxin are taking significant strides in DRAM and HBM developments. How these new steps will help China tackle the Trump-era’s technology challenges would be worth looking at.

Huawei AI chips may adopt China’s Tongfu HBM2 to rival Nvidia (Image Credits: Huawei/X)

(via)