According to Cheng-Wen Wu, chairperson of the Taiwanese National Science Council, China may be a decade behind Taiwan and TSMC in semiconductor manufacturing. Wu made this statement during a legislative briefing after being questioned about media reports suggesting that a teardown of Huawei’s latest smartphones indicated advancements in China’s chip manufacturing capabilities.
He noted that TSMC’s cutting-edge 2nm semiconductor technology is expected to enter mass production in 2025, which he believes will widen the gap between Taiwan and China to over ten years.
Despite the media buzz around teardowns of Huawei devices, which have revealed advanced processors and hinted at China’s progress in chip technology, Wu expressed skepticism about claims that China is only three years behind TSMC. In response to a question from legislator Wu Pei-Yi regarding the Pura 70 smartphone teardown, he emphasized his doubts about China’s advancements in chip manufacturing.
Wu pointed out that TSMC, the world’s leading chip manufacturer, is preparing to produce 2nm chips soon, suggesting a significant gap of ten years or more between the two countries.
TSMC’s 7nm chip technology first went into mass production in 2018, followed by several enhancements leading to the 5nm process. However, the evolution of semiconductor technology is not linear, especially when manufacturers lack access to the same advanced equipment.
A crucial factor in TSMC’s leadership in chip manufacturing is its use of cutting-edge machinery. The company began implementing extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography techniques with equipment from the Dutch firm ASML for its 7nm products and has since expanded its use of EUV technology. The focus has now shifted to the latest High NA EUV machines, essential for producing the most advanced chips due to their increased complexity and smaller feature sizes.
