Chinese semiconductor foundry giant SMIC has officially kicked off mass production of its cutting-edge 5nm-level process technology, dubbed SMIC N+3. Remarkably, this breakthrough process relies entirely on deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography, sidestepping the need for the more advanced and costly extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines. As a result, it stands as the most sophisticated semiconductor manufacturing process currently accessible within China.

The N+3 process boasts a transistor density of 125 million transistors per square millimeter (125MTr/mm²), positioning it between TSMC's N6 and Samsung's early-stage 5nm processes in terms of density. In terms of performance and power efficiency, it rivals TSMC's enhanced 7nm (N7P) and N6 processes. However, when compared to TSMC's state-of-the-art 5nm/4nm processes, the N+3 process falls short by approximately 15%-20% in terms of energy efficiency. Despite this, it marks a significant leap forward in enhancing the competitiveness of domestically manufactured chips.

At present, the yield rate for the N+3 process hovers around 60%-70%, with ambitious plans to elevate it to over 85%. From a cost perspective, it is estimated to be 40%-50% higher than TSMC's offerings. Should the yield and cost disparities be effectively bridged in the future, this development is poised to further accelerate the pace of domestic substitution in the semiconductor industry.