Huawei's AI Chip Mystery: Taiwan's TSMC at the Heart of the Matter

Is SMIC really building Huawei's advanced AI processors? Reports suggest a deeper reliance on Taiwan's TSMC than initially revealed.

The launch of Huawei's Ascend 910B and Ascend 910C AI processors has sparked significant interest and controversy within the global semiconductor industry, particularly in the United States. Recent reports suggest that these advanced processors, purportedly manufactured in China, may actually rely heavily on technology from Taiwan's TSMC.

Specifically, sources indicate that the chips within the Huawei processors utilize 7-nanometer technology, with TSMC playing a crucial role in their production. Despite Huawei's claims of domestic manufacturing, a deep dive into the supply chain reveals a different picture.

According to a report from research firm SemiAnalysis, cited by Wccftech, the Ascend 910C is largely designed in China but relies significantly on international technology. This includes not only chips from TSMC but also HBM (High Bandwidth Memory) from Samsung, as well as equipment sourced from the United States, the Netherlands, and Japan. This underscores the continuing dependence of China on overseas resources for advanced semiconductor manufacturing.