Huawei expected to develop 750000 AI chips this year despite US ban

Huawei is allegedly taking huge strides in the AI chipset production. After the company’s aim to increase the AI chips yield by 60% this year, a new report says Huawei could develop 750000 Ascend 910Cs amid tougher US ban and challenges.

CSIS (Center for Strategic and International Studies) report hints that Huawei has enough resources to produce at least 750000 AI chips regardless of the US ban.

As per the report, Huawei’s major chip partner SMIC has managed to solve a big hurdle in improving its 7nm semiconductor production by securing US deposition as well as other chipmaking equipment in its stock.

Inputs reveal that both Huawei and SMIC had been accumulating chip parts and technologies before the 2020 ban. Now, the Chinese firms are ready to hit a new goal this year by making around one million Ascend 910C processors.

One of these stored chip components is the logic die. CSIS says that Huawei ordered more than 2 million logic dies from TSMC for Ascend 910B before the US ban.

Interestingly, the Ascend 910C uses the same logic dies but differently. The company has merged two logic dies into one for the 910C AI chip to make it better than its predecessor. In this way, the company is capable of developing 1 million Ascend 910C units. But since its advanced packaging yield is 75%, it may produce 750000 units.

Challenges persist!

Even though Chinese firms are making efforts to grow in the AI chip field, they are still dealing with obstacles. SMIC learned to develop logic dies for 910B processors via DUV equipment. But only 800,000 out of 4 million dies works normally.

Still, the hope is that Huawei and SMIC can reach new heights in the future. CSIS says:

“SMIC is expected to have reached its goal of producing 50,000 7nm wafers per year by the end of last year, and although unlikely, if all of these wafers are used to manufacture Ascend chips, it could produce millions of Huawei AI chips per year.”

US chipmakers are still leading in the AI and chipset battle, compared to China. Although good news is that Chinese tech makers are significantly narrowing the gap from its rivals. Instead of 10 or 15 years, the country lags 1 or 2 years in the tech race.

CSIS further believes that Huawei has received great help from the loopholes in the US sanctions, illegal supply of foreign chips to China, and native tools upgrade.

US authorities are constantly planning to increase controls on Chinese firms. But whether these bans and restrictions will limit Huawei’s success or help it to become more independent and powerful would be worth looking forward to.

Huawei expected to develop 750000 AI chips this year despite US ban (Image Credits: Huawei/X)

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