Huawei pursues quad patterning to make 5nm chips
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Huawei and a Chinese chipmaking equipment developer called SiCarrier were granted patents on self-aligned quad patterning late in 2023, according to Bloomberg.
The patents describe the use of deep ultraviolet lithography (DUV) for multiple exposures to achieve high resolution images. The method could reach the technical thresholds required for a nominal 5nm manufacturing process, without using extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, a technology which China is effectively banned from importing.
While quad-patterning may circumvent the need for EUVL in the short-term it slows down chip production and could still have implications for yield. Other companies such as Intel, Samsung and TSMC use EUVL for a reason which is despite the eye-watering cost of EUVL scanners it is the most cost-effective solution at volume.
Also Samsung and TSMC are already at 3nm and headed towards 2nm. Quad-patterning of DUV light will not help Huawei progress beyond 5nm.
SiCarrier (Shenzhen Xinkailai Technology Co. Ltd.) is a startup founded in 2021 and is part of a network of companies around Huawei trying to create a self-sufficient semiconductor ecosystem that does not rely on western technology.
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