Foreign media reported that US semiconductor equipment maker Applied Materials (AMAT US(2303-TW)(UMC-USA) operating under pressure.
The United States extended its chip ban to China to restrict the export of advanced equipment or technology from the United States, including semiconductor processes below 14/16 nanometers, 3D NAND chips with more than 128 layers, and DRAM processes below 18 nanometers. advanced process technologies must rely on materials, Equipment made by American companies such as Kelei and Kelin R&D; with the brewing of the new US ban, Chinese manufacturers have stopped making equipment. To survive, they can only take a detour earlier.
Foreign media Tom’s Hardware reported that Applied Materials chief financial officer Brice Hill said that due to the impact of the US government’s further chip ban on China, some customers may adjust process technology to ensure that the equipment is not subject to the ban Although Applied Materials did not disclose more details, foreign media believe that SMIC may switch to the production of 17nm technology, and YMTC may reduce the number of 3D NAND layers.
Although affected by the chip shutdown, which led to disruption of advanced equipment, SMIC recently revealed in a legal briefing that it has decided to increase its production expansion plan for this year from $5 billion to $6 billion. .6 billion dollars. Co-CEO Zhao Haijun said the new chip factories use mature technologies that are not controlled by new US regulations and that the control measures have little impact on the expansion plan.
In addition to wafer foundries returning to the mature process, it was also reported that in order to avoid regulation, some Chinese companies have begun to consider changing the design and expand the use of mature process chips to replace a single high-end chip process to ship smoothly.
