Semiconductor Manufacturing International (SMIC) has moved 14nm FinFET process to volume production with orders from Huawei's chip arm HiSilicon, and is gearing up for its next-generation FinFET process manufacturing, according to sources familiar with the matter.
SMIC has managed to improve its 14nm process yield rates to 95%, said the sources. The foundry is looking to skip 10nm and go directly to 7nm, the sources continued.
Dubbed N+1, SMIC's next-generation process technology is gearing up for risk production by the end of 2020, the sources indicated, adding N+1 is equivalent to TSMC's first-generation 7nm process.
SMIC is also planning its N+2 process, which will be equivalent to TSMC's second-generation 7nm process node, the sources noted. Dubbed N7P, TSMC's second-generation 7nm technology is also a EUV-based node.
SMIC is capable of developing its FinFET N+1 and N+2 processes without EUV technology, like TSMC with its N7 and N7P processes, the sources continued. The China-based foundry is expected to start implementing EUV lithography in the R&D of another N+ variant.
As China's leading contract chipmaker, SMIC will be competing with TSMC and other international peers in the EUV process market, the sources believe.
SMIC said previously that its FinFET N+1 process is already engaged in customer product validation. The foundry expects to kick off production in small volume using N+1 process technology in the fourth quarter of 2020.
SMIC also disclosed that the company is capable of producing 1,000 wafers monthly using 14nm process technology. The process capacity will reach 4,000 wafers in March 2020, and will climb further to 9,000 units in July and 150,000 units in December.
Article translated by Jessie Shen
