Huawei has recently filed a patent revealing an advanced chip design that closely resembles the sophisticated packaging technologies used by industry leaders like TSMC and Intel. This new design is for the rumored Ascend 910D, a next-generation AI processor expected to significantly challenge foreign competitors such as Nvidia’s GPUs.
According to the patent details, Huawei is developing a quad-chiplet, or four-die, architecture for the Ascend 910D. This multi-die packaging approach appears similar to TSMC’s CoWoS-L (Chip on Wafer on Substrate-Local) technology and Intel’s EMIB (Embedded Multi-die Interconnect Bridge) combined with Foveros 3D stacking. These technologies enable high-density integration and superior performance in advanced AI processors by combining multiple chip dies into a single package with efficient interconnects.
TSMC’s CoWoS-L is known for providing high-density chip packaging that supports powerful AI workloads by placing multiple chiplets on a wafer substrate. Intel’s EMIB and Foveros 3D, meanwhile, combine horizontal and vertical stacking to create flexible, high-bandwidth, and low-power chip interconnections. Huawei’s patent suggests it is leveraging similar methods to maximize chip density and performance for the Ascend 910D.
The patent shows that each chiplet die measures approximately 665 square millimeters, and the combined silicon area for the four-chiplet design could reach about 4020 square millimeters. This would be a significant increase compared to the previous Ascend 910C, which used a two-die layout. This expansion in chip real estate points toward a substantial boost in processing power and efficiency for Huawei’s AI chip.
This development also highlights Huawei and its chip manufacturing partner SMIC’s ambitions to rival TSMC’s packaging capabilities. If successful, this innovation could help China mitigate the impact of US sanctions and make a leap forward into cutting-edge semiconductor manufacturing technology.
It is important to remember, however, that patent filings do not always result in commercial products. While the design shows promising potential, it remains to be seen whether Huawei will bring the Ascend 910D to market with this advanced quad-chiplet structure. Nonetheless, this patent signals Huawei’s continued commitment to pushing technological boundaries in the AI chip space amid global industry challenges.
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