SMIC: China's First 18nm Wafer Production Line Achieves Mass Production

SMIC recently held a mass production ceremony in Shanghai for its 18nm wafer production line, marking the official commencement of production on China's first 1.8nm analog process production line. This signifies a major breakthrough in China's high-end semiconductor manufacturing sector, providing advanced chip support for industries such as artificial intelligence and high-performance computing.

The production line primarily produces high-end products such as CPUs, GPUs, and memory chips. In its first week of mass production, it shipped 80,000 wafers, with memory chip foundry accounting for 25%, covering various types including DDR5 and HBM, with a yield rate consistently above 95%. Compared to the 14nm process, the 18nm process offers over 40% improvement in transistor density and energy efficiency, reaching internationally leading levels. The launch of this project will significantly reduce the dependence of Chinese electronics companies on overseas wafer manufacturing, providing strong support for the self-reliance and controllability of the semiconductor industry chain.