Huawei Patent Reveals New Technique for 2-Nanometre Chips Without EUV Machines
Huawei Technologies has drawn renewed global attention after details resurfaced about a three year old patent describing a novel method to manufacture chips at the 2 nanometre level without using extreme ultraviolet lithography. Since the US imposed sweeping restrictions that prevent Chinese companies from accessing EUV tools made by Dutch company ASML, China’s semiconductor industry has been forced to search for unconventional paths toward advanced chipmaking. Huawei’s patent appears to be one of the most ambitious proposals yet, suggesting a way to push deep ultraviolet equipment far beyond its conventional limits.
Metal integration technique aims for ultra fine structures
At the core of the patent is a sophisticated metal integration approach designed to produce incredibly narrow metal lines and structures. Huawei describes a process that can achieve metal pitches below 21 nanometres, a requirement for manufacturing chips in the 2 nm class. This is significant because metal pitch, the distance between two metal lines, is one of the defining metrics used to evaluate how advanced a semiconductor process is. Achieving such small dimensions with DUV equipment would represent a major engineering accomplishment, as current industry consensus holds that EUV is essential for such miniaturisation.
Repurposing DUV tools to achieve next generation chipmaking
The patent proposes a technical pathway that relies on deep ultraviolet lithography, a more mature and widely available technology compared with EUV. While DUV has been used for decades in semiconductor fabrication, its limits have historically prevented it from achieving the finest geometries now standard in advanced chips. Huawei’s method, if feasible in practice, would offer a workaround that sidesteps the need for EUV machines altogether. For China, this would be strategically significant, offering a means to continue advancing in semiconductor technology without depending on restricted foreign tools.
A sign of China’s determination to innovate under pressure
Although the patent alone does not guarantee a functional manufacturing process, it demonstrates Huawei’s ongoing efforts to innovate under tight constraints. Since being placed on the US entity list in 2019, the company has invested heavily in semiconductor research and development, both to support its own products and to contribute to China’s broader push for technology self sufficiency. The timing is noteworthy as well, given the renewed interest in China’s ability to narrow the gap with global leaders in chip fabrication. The patent has intensified speculation that Huawei and its domestic partners may be closer to achieving breakthroughs that were once considered out of reach.
A potential milestone with global implications
If Huawei’s metal integration technique can be proven viable at commercial scale, it could mark a major milestone not only for the company but for China’s entire semiconductor ecosystem. Such a development would challenge assumptions about the indispensability of EUV tools and could reshape global competition in chip technology. Industry analysts caution that turning a patent into mass production is an enormous challenge, involving years of testing, yield improvement and equipment optimisation. Even so, the fact that Huawei is exploring this pathway suggests a profound shift in how countries may approach advanced chipmaking in the future.
