Semiconductor Huawei Planning To Launch Chip Lithography Equal To TSMC’s 1.4nm Process By 2031, Showing That U.S. Sanctions Won’t Stifle Its Progress Omar Sohail • at EDT Add on Google We've heard about Huawei's efforts to get into the 5nm process, so let us keep our fingers crossed for this progress The U.S. sanctions may have closed Huawei’s trading capabilities with other countries to obtain access to the latest lithography and paraphernalia associated with mass producing next-generation chips, but what it also did was fuel the company’s desire to carve its mark without relying on overseas firms. Today, Huawei announced that by 2031, it will have chips with a manufacturing process equivalent to TSMC’s upcoming bleeding-edge 1.4nm process. While that sounds incredibly exciting, there are a few things we should keep an eye on. Achieving wafer manufacturing on a 1.4nm lithography isn’t possible without ASML’s High-NA EUV equipment, but Huawei may not need it In addition to unveiling its new “LogicFolding Design” technology, which Huawei intends to apply to a Kirin chipset later this year, company executive He Tingbo revealed that the Chinese firm also intends to unveil a 1.4 nm-equivalent lithography by the year 2031. Keep in mind that there aren’t many details provided on how Huawei will achieve this near-impossible feat, but we have some thoughts. Related Story Huawei Adopts “LogicFolding Design” Technology For Its Future Kirin Chipsets, Enabling All Sorts Of Perks Like Boosting Density By 53%, Clock Speeds By 12.7% & MoreHowever, before we begin, readers should realize the scale at which TSMC is operating to begin mass production of its own 1.4nm wafers by 2028. To achieve these goals, the Taiwanese semiconductor giant is estimated to have invested a whopping $49 billion for the construction of four plants, and that too, without the need for ASML’s ludicrously expensive High-NA EUV machines, which can cost $400 million apiece. For Huawei to introduce chips on a similar lithography, it will require ASML’s technology, but the U.S. ban hammer has forbidden both companies from doing business with one another. However, what if China didn’t require overseas equipment to reach the same level as TSMC? It turns out there’s a minute chance, as we reported last year, that the country’s EUV machinery would enter trial production in Q3 2025. It’s also possible that Huawei invested a great deal of money in SiCarrier, one of China’s leading firms engaged in replacing ASML’s EUV equipment for its own. The company was previously reported in H1 2025 to seek $2.8 billion in funding, but we’ve yet to hear updates regarding its progress. Given that 2031 is a long time for Huawei to form various contingency plans for its 1.4nm technology, we should also remind readers that without the aforementioned machines, it will be next to impossible to achieve these goals. While Huawei’s ambitions must be commended, it’s also a matter of viewing things from a realistic eye. Every technology company can make tall claims, but it’s a completely different ballgame when it comes to execution. About the : Omar Sohail is a and analyst for 's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology. Follow on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds. Further Reading Samsung Testing Its Next-Generation Exynos On The 1.4nm Process, Initial Specifications Boast 96MB Of Cache, Higher Clock Speeds & More NVIDIA’s CEO Jensen Huang Draws a Hard Line on China: No Blackwell, No Rubin, But US Firms Must Still Fight In Global Markets Huawei Is The Biggest Winner In China’s AI Market After NVIDIA Pullout, AI Share To Reach 60% This Year NVIDIA CEO Jensen Pushes Back on AI Job-Destruction Fears, Arguing Software Engineers Solve Problems, Also Admits Zero China Share Read all on Huawei Planning To Launch Chip Lithography Equal To TSMC’s 1.4nm Process By 2031, Showing That U.S. Sanctions Won’t Stifle Its Progress
