Huawei to Mass-Produce Ascend 910C AI Chip in 2025 Despite US Curbs

Nov 21, 2024, 08:17 AM

Huawei Technologies Co. is set to begin mass production of its latest AI chip, the Ascend 910C, in the first quarter of 2025, despite ongoing U.S. restrictions on technology exports. The company has sent samples of the chip, designed to rival those made by Nvidia Corp., to some technology firms and has already started taking orders. However, the production faces significant challenges, with the current yield of the Ascend 910C at around 20%, far below the 70% needed for commercial viability. This low yield is attributed to the lack of advanced lithography equipment, as Huawei relies on Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC) using its N+2 process for manufacturing. U.S. curbs on technology access exacerbate these production challenges.