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US finds new Huawei to hurt China with new sanctions at top chip-maker SMIC

(2020/09/28)


The US government has told American companies that make semiconductor manufacturing kit that they must obtain a license to exporting their products to China’s largest chipmaker, the Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC).

The US Department of Commerce told American companies on Friday that exports to SMIC pose an “unacceptable risk” of being used for “military end use”, according to a copy of a letter seen by the Financial Times . The news was subsequently reported by several newswires that said they, too, had seen the document.

SMIC has worked for several US-based fabless silicon designers, including Qualcomm, Broadcom, and Texas Instruments, among others. Huawei is thought to be another client, and SMIC has also applied to continue supplying the controversial company.

Although the Department of Commerce directive is aimed at American businesses, it may extend to include foreign companies that use US technology, such as Japan’s Tokyo Electron, which supplies chip-making kit such as etching machines and film deposition equipment to SMIC. Nikon and Canon have also promoted semiconductor exposure devices to Chinese clients.

The rules have the potential to derail China’s push to become self-sufficient in semiconductors and reduce its dependence on US technology. Under President Xi Jinping’s “make in China 2025”, the country aims to make 70 per cent of its semiconductors locally, up from less than 20 per cent now. SMIC, one of the country’s “national champions” is considered the flagbearer of the plan.

The impact of the new rules depends on which SMIC suppliers Washington decides to target. In the worst case scenario, the US could use the rules to cut off SMIC from US chipmaking kit and software entirely. The Reg suspects that the US will not deprive American businesses of all trade, but will make it hard for SMIC to make advanced products that could help China's government or military.

SMIC’s current mainstay chips are made on 55nm to 65nm processes, but it can also produce more advanced 14nm silicon. Analysts believe the company is two generations behind rival Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, which produces chips using 5nm tech for the smartphone market.

In response to the directive, SMIC said it “has no relationship with the Chinese military, and does not manufacture for any military end user or end uses”. The company said it had not received any formal notification of the sanctions. ®

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[1] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/

Eternal Losers/Serial Morons'r'Us? How Else does One Adequately Explain the Complex Phenomenon ‽

amanfromMars 1

Does Uncle Sam learn nothing at all from all of their experiences in conflicts they have initiated and never won ..... which is by all accounts classified as a certifiable loss?

Is the air toxic, is the water poisoned, is the food infected, are they being brainwashed over there in the Wild Wacky West World of the definitely not United States of America? What is the reason? Why the disease? Do they not realise they are self-destructing/being destroyed at an increasingly alarmingly rapid rate.

Is that their US Master Plan, to Die for a Universal Reset? That's madly drastic and uncommonly tragic to say the least, however YMMV and bold and brave may tickle your fancy. Either way though, it is pretty decent of them to sacrifice themselves for the greater common good.

Is there anything you can do to help them? They're sure to be grateful and bound to be exceedingly generous in fiat reward for they are well renowned for it. Some who may be many more than just a chosen few would tell you It is a mighty strength, deeply embedded in the many dark corners of their DNA/RNA but never a good fit if ever wielded by the Infernal Internal, Eternal Losers .. Serial Morons'r'Us.

Re: Eternal Losers/Serial Morons'r'Us? ....... Is the water poisoned?

amanfromMars 1

Well now, who would have thought that/this would surface today too ....... [1]https://www.zerohedge.com/medical/texas-residents-warned-their-drinking-water-may-contain-brain-eating-microbe

An Uncanny Quantum Communication Entanglement/Spooky Action at a Distance, Herr Einstein?

[1] https://www.zerohedge.com/medical/texas-residents-warned-their-drinking-water-may-contain-brain-eating-microbe

It's Amazing How Petty The USA & Fearless Leader Trump Can Get

Tempest

One of the biggest reasons not to buy US products is because of the long 'tail' that follows them.

The U.S. has for decades used aircraft instrumentation to limit sales of foreign manufactured aircraft - think Iran. Fortunately it is extremely easy to circumvent, think of a Chinese aircraft that was stolen and flown into TaiWan years ago. It was filled with US manufactured chips.

My employer uses Chinese manufactured integrated circuits and we can order custom pin-outs for quantities as low as 500 pieces. Try that from a US manufacturer. Anyone who has used a 555 chip are well aware of the pairing of 2 sets of pins - a real pain for PCB designers. When we go to North Korea we carry numerous spare parts manufactured in the USA because the Trump stupidity is something we don't bother about.

The US should remember that the Chinese hold US debt as well being the source of rare metals used in some security enterprises and a quick jerk of those strings would be a painful lesson for Washington to learn.

Many 'empires' have collapsed - look at Britain - the US will collapse too.

> NE-2000 clone. Pentium optimizing gcc (pentium gcc pl8 I think).
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Build a kernel with the proper gcc. Reports with a non standard compiler
are useless.
-- Alan Cox