Huawei’s Kirin Chip May Have Been Accelerated by Bitcoin Mining Orders
A latest report by The Miner Magazine suggests bitcoin mining orders might 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, Decreasing China’s Dependence on Western Tech
The Miner Magazine reported that bitcoin mining corporations had been among the many first to purchase SMIC’s N+1 course of, ordering wafers and offering the quantity 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 corporations 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 research 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 reduce off, Huawei turned to SMIC to provide its new Kirin chip. Nevertheless, SMIC initially couldn’t produce superior 7nm chips.
The report says corporations 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 price 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 research signifies the rising orders from bitcoin miners helped SMIC refine its 7nm manufacturing capabilities. This might need sped up Huawei’s improvement of its new Kirin chip utilizing SMIC’s enhanced N+2 course of. Whereas it’s onerous to measure bitcoin mining’s precise impression, Miner Magazine’s findings emphasize that miners had been early patrons and constant clients for SMIC’s rising 7nm manufacturing.
Their orders had been important in serving to handle 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 vital implications for reducing China’s dependence on Western chip applied sciences.
