Ep. 019 - Inside the STEEL Lab: From Package to Transistor (Teardown Lab) | Afzal Ahmad, Andrew Wagner, Jordan Nanos

Ep. 019 - Inside the STEEL Lab: From Package to Transistor (Teardown Lab) | Afzal Ahmad, Andrew Wagner, Jordan Nanos – SemiAnalysis Weekly

Market views

Bullish

SMIC— SMIC has achieved aggressive scaling with N+3 process using DUV technology, reaching parity with leading fabs at the M0 layer despite export restrictions preventing EUV access. The process shows clean metal layers and innovative compromises that enable competitive performance.
HUAWEI— Huawei has demonstrated strong chip design capabilities despite export restrictions, with architectural improvements enabling the Kirin 9030 to outperform previous generations. Their logic folding technology using 1.5 micron pitch hybrid bonding represents a significant innovation to avoid further DUV scaling challenges.
ADVPACKAGING— Advanced packaging is accelerating at a faster pace than transistor technology, with innovations like hybrid bonding scaling to submicron levels. This represents a major area of semiconductor innovation and competitive advantage.

Not investment advice.