https://news.cgtn.com/news/2020-07-27/SMIC-makes-a-play-at-leading-China-s-domestic-chip-production-SoosX2aKk0/index.html
Seems to be two obvious here goals:
1) make the entire SMIC production line American free
2) advance to a smaller node the transistor size
Let's see how far they get in 1-3 years.
Forgot, one other note, is regarding Huawei 5G equipment. They probably can be still dominant in the 5G industry with chips at 14nm supplied to Huawei. Just the phones need the 7nm.If SMIC has a bunch of American equipment making these 14nm chips, and inside the same fab they got Chinese equipment making these 14nm chips, how the hell anyone will know?
The law is one thing, enforcement is another thing.
American chip-police will not be visiting Chinese fabs anytime soon.
There are laws against jaywalking. I still jaywalk all the time. Hehe.