SMIC urges China's chipmakers to embrace advanced packaging as Moore's Law slows nanometre node progress and US sanctions bite

www.scmp.com, Jan. 25, 2021 – 

• The remarks could signal a shift in focus at the Shanghai foundry which has seen its chances of closing the tech gap with bigger rival TSMC hurt by US sanctions
• Analysts said SMIC will need to combine IC packaging and wafer foundry expertise to remain competitive in the industry

Chinese chip makers should focus on developing advanced packaging technologies to overcome their weakness in nanometre process nodes, according to Chiang Shang-yi, the former TSMC R&D director recently recruited by Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC).

Chiang, SMIC's executive director and vice-chairman, said future breakthroughs for the country's integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing industry would come from advanced packaging techniques that can crama more circuits into smaller packages, a necessary requirement as Moore's Law inches towards its physical limits.

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