• severien@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I’m curious where did they get those numbers. Producing a limited number of chips is one thing, scaling production to tens of millions is another. Especially regarding the lithography machines which China bought before the sanctions from ASML, but can’t buy anymore.

    • Dudewitbow@lemmy.ml
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      1 year ago

      Not much is known about chinas new 7nm process as thereisnt much documentation on it. Given that mobile chips are smaller. Even if yields are bad, youd still be able to get some chips made due to its small size.

      Last i recall, china was on 14/12nm but the 7nm breakthrough is fairly recent.

      • severien@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Impossible in the timeframe. There’s a reason why ASML is the only producer on this level.

      • Skull giver@popplesburger.hilciferous.nl
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        1 year ago

        From what I’ve read, they’ve partnered up with a manufacturer which may have acquired the necessary ASML tech before the ban. If that’s the case, they’ll need years to decades to get even in terms of technology; the development stops at 7nm and there’s no way to go down to 5nm.

        There’s a reason the entire world is dependent on chip manufacturing machines from one single manufacturer. Making chips at single digit nanometer scale is incredibly difficult and requires extremely advanced manufacturing technology.

        I don’t think China has been able to clone the EUV process yet. If they could, the Chinese government would be announcing so in every news paper around the world.