TSMC Suspends Shipments to Chinese Firm After Chip Found in Huawei AI Processor
12 Sources
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TSMC suspended shipments to China firm after chip found on Huawei processor, sources say
This undated picture shows a Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) logo in Taiwan. AFP-Yonhap Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company suspended shipments to China-based chip designer Sophgo after a chip it made was found on a Huawei AI processor, according to two people familiar
[2]
TSMC suspended shipments to China firm after chip found on Huawei processor, sources say
This undated picture shows a Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) logo in Taiwan. AFP-Yonhap Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company suspended shipments to China-based chip designer Sophgo after a chip it made was found on a Huawei AI processor, according to two people familiar
[3]
TSMC tech in Huawei's AI chips raises questions about 'porous' supply chain
The Huawei logo is seen at its booth during the Mobile World Congress in Shanghai, China, June 28, 2023. Reuters-Yonhap When a Canadian research firm found that Huawei Technologies' multi-chiplet artificial intelligence (AI) processor Ascend 910B contained dies made by Taiwan Semiconductor
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TSMC tech in Huawei's AI chips raises questions about 'porous' supply chain
The Huawei logo is seen at its booth during the Mobile World Congress in Shanghai, China, June 28, 2023. Reuters-Yonhap When a Canadian research firm found that Huawei Technologies' multi-chiplet artificial intelligence (AI) processor Ascend 910B contained dies made by Taiwan Semiconductor
[5]
TSMC suspended shipments to China firm after chip found on Huawei processor, sources say
This move comes amid ongoing U.S. restrictions on Huawei, which is prohibited from accessing U.S. technology. TSMC, as a major supplier to Huawei, is under scrutiny to ensure compliance with these restrictions. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company suspended shipments to China-based chip
[6]
TSMC Suspended Shipments to China Firm After Chip Found on Huawei Processor, Sources Say
(Reuters) - Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company suspended shipments to China-based chip designer Sophgo after a chip it made was found on a Huawei AI processor, according to two people familiar with the matter. Sophgo had ordered chips from TSMC that matched the one found on Huawei's Ascend
[7]
TSMC suspended shipments to China firm after chip found on Huawei processor, sources say
(Reuters) - Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company suspended shipments to China-based chip designer Sophgo after a chip it made was found on a Huawei AI processor, according to two people familiar with the matter. Sophgo had ordered chips from TSMC that matched the one found on Huawei's Ascend
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TSMC Chips Ended Up in Devices Made by China's Huawei Despite U.S. Controls
Meaghan Tobin, John Liu and Amy Chang Chien reported from Taipei. Ana Swanson reported from Washington. The U.S. government has spent years weaving a web of controls to prevent Chinese companies from being able to buy or make cutting edge computer chips. But several weeks ago, the maker of the
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TSMC's Shipments to Sophgo Suspended After Chip Found on Huawei Processor
Sophgo is affiliated with cryptocurrency mining equipment company Bitmain Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company suspended shipments to China-based chip designer Sophgo after a chip it made was found on a Huawei AI processor, according to two people familiar with the matter. Sophgo had
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TSMC cuts off Chinese chip designer linked to Huawei
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. has allegedly cut off shipments to Chinese chip designer Sophgo over allegations it was attempting to supply components to Huawei in violation of US sanctions. The report comes roughly a week after TSMC alerted US officials to what they believed was an
[11]
Bitmain-linked firm Sophgo denies supplying AI chips to Huawei
Chinese chip designer Xiamen Sophgo -- a firm with links to Bitmain -- has denied any business relationship with Huawei, after Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) cut dealings with it following a United States probe into potential sanctions violations. According to an Oct. 27 report
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Bitcoin Miner Bitmain Caught Up In This Regulatory Crossfire
TSMC has halted shipments to the China-based chip designer Sophgo, an AI company associated with Bitmain co-founder and chairman Micree Zhan. Taiwan Semiconductors Manufacturing Company (TSMC) reportedly halted chip shipments to Xiamen Sophgo, a Chinese semiconductor firm linked with Bitmain
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Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) halted shipments to China-based chip designer Sophgo after discovering its chip in a Huawei AI processor, raising concerns about U.S. export control violations and the effectiveness of sanctions on China's semiconductor industry.
TSMC Halts Shipments to Chinese Firm Amid Huawei Chip Controversy
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world's largest contract chipmaker, has suspended shipments to China-based chip designer Sophgo following the discovery of a TSMC-made chip in Huawei's Ascend 910B AI processor
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. This development has raised questions about potential violations of U.S. export controls and the effectiveness of sanctions targeting China's semiconductor industry.Discovery and Immediate Actions
Tech research firm TechInsights uncovered the presence of a TSMC chip in Huawei's Ascend 910B multi-chip processor during a teardown analysis
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. Upon learning of this finding, TSMC promptly notified U.S. authorities about two weeks ago1
. The company also alerted Taiwanese officials and initiated a detailed investigation into the matter2
.Implications for U.S. Sanctions
The discovery has significant implications for U.S. sanctions on China's tech sector. Arisa Liu, a research fellow at the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research, stated that "U.S. long-arm sanctions on China's semiconductor sector have proven to be porous"
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. This incident highlights potential loopholes in the existing export control measures and underscores China's persistent efforts to access advanced foundry technologies.Huawei and TSMC's Statements
Both Huawei and TSMC have issued statements regarding the situation:
- TSMC claims it has not supplied Huawei since mid-September 2020 and has "proactively communicated" with the U.S. Commerce Department about the matter
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. - Huawei asserts that it has not produced any chips via TSMC since the implementation of new U.S. export rules in 2020
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Sophgo's Connection
Sophgo, the company to which TSMC suspended shipments, is affiliated with cryptocurrency mining equipment company Bitmain
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. Sophgo was co-founded by Micree Zhan, who also co-founded Bitmain5
. The company has been identified as aiming to challenge the AI chip market dominance of Nvidia and AMD5
.Related Stories
Huawei's Ascend Chip Series
Huawei's Ascend chip series has become central to China's semiconductor self-sufficiency efforts. The Ascend 910B, in particular, is considered the most advanced AI chip available from a Chinese company
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. A Huawei executive claimed that the 910B chip is comparable to Nvidia's A100 in terms of computing power for training large AI models4
.Ongoing Investigations and Uncertainties
The U.S. Department of Commerce acknowledged awareness of potential export control violations but did not confirm any ongoing investigations
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. Many questions remain unanswered, including the duration and scope of the suspected customer's cooperation with TSMC and the exact path through which the TSMC chips ended up in Huawei's hardware3
.This incident underscores the complexities of enforcing semiconductor export controls and highlights the ongoing challenges in regulating the global chip supply chain, particularly in relation to China's tech ambitions.
References
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