Huawei Kirin 9030 Pro chip uses the SMIC N+3 process, which provides 10% higher transistor density than Intel Panther Lake CPUs. A new report on this matter suggests that SMIC is gradually inching towards 5nm chip process technology.
SMIC N+3 is the third-generation node process with a minimum metal pitch of 32.5nm. Metal pitch is the physical distance from the center of an interconnected wire to the center of the adjacent metal trace.
In simple words, metal pitch is the sum of the minimum wire width and the minimum space between wires, making it a primary indicator of a chip’s transistor density.
According to SemiAnalysis, the SMIC N+3 has a 10% smaller chip size, tighter spacing of metal wires, and higher transistor density than the latest Intel 18A node.
(Image Credits: SemiAnalysis)
18A or 1.8nm semiconductor manufacturing process. It is one of the first 2nm-class nodes produced in North America. But compared to the SMIC N+3 chip process with 32.5nm metal pitch, Intel’s 18A node has 36nm minimum metal pitch.
SMIC N+3 process takes over Intel’s latest 18A chip node in terms of smaller metal pitch, which means the former has higher transistor density than the latter. However, that doesn’t make SMIC’s tech defeat Intel’s advanced chip solution.
N+3 still lags in terms of complexity, efficiency, and process control. While it reaches the density of TSMC N6 using outdated DUV multi-pattern chipmaking machinery, it still has a long way to go, as well as reach the new level – 5nm.
SemiAnalysis also conducted a teardown of the Huawei Kirin 9030 5G chip, which revealed further information about the SMIC N+3. The new mobile SoC matches a three-year-old Android flagship in performance at present.
Kirin 9030 is a groundbreaking chip version, but it still lags in some manner. Though Huawei is now working on the 2026 mobile processors that claim to be a real breakthrough in this aspect.
