Huawei is now apparently also a chip manufacturer
Huawei now operates its own chip plant for smartphone processors and AI accelerators, ending its reliance on contract manufacturers.
(Image: c't)
Huawei is apparently getting serious about chip production. The company is said to have put its first own semiconductor plant into operation in Guanlan, in the suburbs of Shenzhen. Right next to it are two further plants, which are presumably operated by partner manufacturers.
This was reported by the Financial Times, citing sources close to the manufacturers and on-site inspections. Satellite images from Planet Labs show the huge building complex, which has been under construction since 2022. As early as 2023, rumors emerged that Huawei was involved in the construction of a total of five semiconductor plants.
Satellitenbilder von 2025 und 2022 (2 Bilder)
Drei neue Halbleiterwerke in Guanlan, China. Aufnahme vom April 2025
Planetlabs, via Financial Times
)Company network for independent production
According to the Financial Times, SiCarrier and SwaySure each operate one of the other two semiconductor plants. SiCarrier primarily manufactures devices for chip production, SwaySure DRAM components. Cooperation between chip manufacturers and machine manufacturers for the operation of production lines is typical, although not to this extent. The chip contract manufacturers Pengxinwei (PXW) and Shenzhen Pensun (PST) are to operate further semiconductor plants in the area.
Even though they are basically different companies, they are said to be closely linked. This is not uncommon in China, especially when billions of dollars in subsidies flow from the city and government. In 2023, there was still talk of the equivalent of 28 billion euros for Huawei alone.
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Allegedly 7 nanometers
Huawei is reportedly producing 7-nanometer chips for its own smartphones and AI accelerators right from the start. These could include the Kirin 9000S and Ascend 910C. So far, the Chinese chip contract manufacturer SMIC and TSMC from Taiwan are said to have produced the necessary semiconductors. The TSMC chips probably reached China via mid-tier companies.
A 7 nm class production process is not something that a manufacturer can just pluck out of the ground. It is quite possible that SMIC is also cooperating with Huawei & Co – this company is also massively subsidized by the state.
Huawei is researching its own lithography systems for chip production. This also involves advanced systems with extreme ultraviolet (EUV) exposure technology. So far, only ASML from the Netherlands has produced such systems in series, but is not allowed to sell them to China due to export restrictions.
Chinese 7 nm processes run with older lithography systems that expose wafers several times with deep ultraviolet light (DUV) to create the fine structures.
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