A few days ago, Samsung Electronics’ display department stated that it has obtained a US license to supply organic light-emitting diodes (OLED display panels) for mobile phones to Huawei. It is the third chip manufacturer to confirm the resumption of supply to Huawei after Intel and AMD.
In September of this year, due to the US ban, Samsung and LG stopped supplying high-end smartphone panels to Huawei. Previously affected by the US ban, it was not the technology, production and color materials of the panels themselves, but mainly the driver IC chips based on the ARM architecture. Restrictions.
According to the latest report from the Financial Times, US officials pointed out that as long as chip manufacturers do not use chips for Huawei’s 5G business, the United States will allow more and more chip companies to provide components to Huawei.
A semiconductor executive involved said: “The US Department of Commerce told the company in a recent conversation that although Huawei’s supply license was processed for denial, it can be overcome if it can be proven that your technology does not support 5G. .”
The executives of two other Asian semiconductor companies said that they are optimistic about obtaining a license to supply Huawei. One of them said: “The US has shown us that the chips used in mobile devices are not a problem.”
Analysts at Jefferies wrote that California-based Sony and Howe Technology have also obtained permits to provide CMOS image sensors to Huawei phones. Although both parties declined to comment, they did not deny it, including previous rumors that TSMC would resume supplying mature technology products. (28nm and above), there are three confirmed suppliers and three rumored suppliers to Huawei.
From the perspective of the three suppliers that confirmed the resumption of supply, Intel and AMD mainly supply computer processors, while Samsung confirmed the supply of mobile phone screens. The true intentions of the United States to suppress Huawei have gradually become clear.
Real attempts to suppress Huawei
We have repeatedly analyzed the real attempts of the United States to suppress Huawei.
In the article, there are three possibilities for the United States to suppress Huawei:
The first is a complete blockade and a complete collapse; after three rounds of suppression by the United States, this possibility does exist
but as the United States loosens its mouth and two US companies resume supply, this possibility does not hold;
Second, under the premise of suppressing Huawei’s high-end chips, it will severely damage Huawei’s telecommunications and consumer businesses and supply chips in a limited amount; the third is more relaxed, under the premise of suppressing high-end chips, full supply to Huawei;
Judging from the current US practice, it lies between the second and the third. The second possibility analyzed before is that the US wants to severely damage Huawei’s telecommunications and consumer businesses, and it’s supplying Huawei mobile phone screens from Samsung and rumors that Sony is supplying it. From the perspective of CMOS sensor chips, the United States shows signs of allowing Huawei to continue to engage in the mobile phone business, and clearly stated that as long as you can prove that your chips are not used for Huawei 5G, you can get a license.
The implication is that you go back and issue a proof that I am targeting Huawei’s 5G business. The final result may be better than the second possibility, but it is not completely liberalized and limited supply of chips. However, the premise for the United States to suppress Huawei’s high-end chips has not changed. As long as TSMC cannot OEM advanced chips, it will be difficult for Huawei HiSilicon to upgrade its products.
After three rounds of bans, the United States repositioned its target on Huawei’s high-end chips and 5G.
The meaning of the ban
The incident may go back to before 2019. The U.S. tried its best to weaken Huawei’s 5G influence. It seems to have gone around in a circle, but the three rounds of bans are meaningful to him and to me. For the U.S., it will reshape the reality of the truth. Huawei supply chain.
The United States did not know in advance how long Huawei could carry it and tentatively prohibited US companies from supplying supplies, but discovered that Huawei had used its own chips. It was only after the second ban that it discovered that the chip manufacturing capacity was Huawei’s weak underbelly. After Huawei found a channel for outsourcing chips, Qualcomm warned the United States that if the chips are not sold to Huawei, the 8 billion market will be handed over to competitors.
A week later, the United States upgraded the ban again, and Qualcomm’s rival MediaTek could not supply Huawei. From another perspective, it was more like responding to Qualcomm. If the United States only suppressed Huawei’s 5G and high-end chips, in fact, after the second round of the ban, the purpose has been What is the significance of the third round of the escalation ban?
To exert extreme pressure and reshape the supply chain, the first round of bans is one size fits all, and all U.S. companies cannot supply them. After the second round, Huawei has found non-U.S. suppliers, such as MediaTek. Even if a subsequent U.S. company (Qualcomm) obtains permission, it can Whether or not to supply Huawei is also a problem. Through extreme pressure, MediaTek will forcibly cut off the supply of Huawei to MediaTek and take back the initiative.
After the three rounds of bans, all Huawei suppliers have to go to the United States to apply for licenses. The initiative is in full control. Whoever is allowed to supply goods and appoint suppliers is not beautiful?
Of course, this is a post-mortem analysis from the perspective of God. The process is complicated and stressful, but this has indeed become an established fact. Now we can see that the first to obtain the license is the US company, and the Samsung OLED screen license is a strong competitor among the US companies. Let it go to show “justice.”
Next, computer memory chips and mobile phone chips will be competitors of American companies. Micron, Samsung, Hynix, Qualcomm and MediaTek, whoever obtains the license first, can reflect the selfishness of the United States. Later, if Qualcomm first When MediaTek was granted permission, it was obvious that MediaTek became helpless.
In addition, the supplier has obtained permission, and the United States has a high probability of controlling the rhythm. In May last year, the first round of bans in the United States completely cut off the supply of US companies. In fact, it was postponed five times. By mid-May this year, when the second ban took effect, US companies have completely cut off supply. Huawei has a lot of chip inventory. As for how much it is, the United States is naturally aware of how much it is sold. Therefore, it will not rush to restore supply on a large scale in the short term, and will continue to create pressure.
The significance of the US’s suppression of Huawei for the development of my country’s chip industry is that the whole country fully understands the shortcomings of chip manufacturing, and everyone knows the death of lithography machines.
Don’t be fooled by a candy
Give a candy at a meal, this trick is very useful for children. After the United States has suppressed Huawei, it will sell it to a candy, which is very similar. It cannot be so simple that it can be fooled.
Nowadays, the domestic chip industry is vigorously developing. In the first 10 months of this year, the number of registered chip-related companies has reached 45,000. Semiconductor projects in various regions have been put into production, 8-inch wafer production capacity is tight, chip companies are digging around, and integrated circuit universities have been established. Now, the Science and Technology Innovation Board has opened up a green channel for technology companies to finance. The entire land of China, a large amount of manpower and material resources have been pooled in the chip industry, and it is booming.
Bloomberg predicts that the domestic investment in the chip industry has exceeded 200 billion US dollars. In real currency, this amount exceeds the US Apollo moon landing plan. Regardless of how much we can achieve for the time being, at least the top and bottom are paying attention to it. The hope of domestic substitution is ignited. Don’t let down because of a sugar. Core technology and initiative are still in the hands of others.
Recently, the United States included 5 nanometer lithography technology and key semiconductor equipment on the export control list, and it has become more stringent in key areas than before.
Conclusion
On October 28th, Huawei’s Xinsheng Community issued an email to the President’s Office. Ren Zhengfei said: “Huawei’s current difficulty is to design advanced chips. The domestic basic industry can’t make them. It is impossible for Huawei to make products and make chips again.”
In the global competition in the field of science and technology, Huawei is one of the points that stand out. If the points can be connected together, there will be no US sanctions.
