Kirin 9030 Hints at SMIC’s Possible Paths Toward >300 MTr/mm2 Without EUV

TechInsights recently analyzed the Kirin 9030 chip in Huawei's Mate 80 Pro Max, revealing that SMIC's "N+3" process has a transistor density lower than Samsung and TSMC's 5nm processes. The chip's metal pitch was scaled aggressively using DUV multi-patterning, hinting at paths for SMIC to achieve transistor densities above 300 MTr/mm2 without EUV. Different approaches like Double SALELE and Double SADP have been proposed to achieve smaller metal pitches, with considerations for lithographic challenges and mask counts. Planning multipatterning paths several nodes ahead is crucial to manage mask count increases effectively.