Controversy
Status:Open
Will SMIC Begin Mass Production of 5nm or 5nm-Class Logic Chips by the End of 2026?
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Claims
Tom's Hardware"Do not expect SMIC's sub-10nm fabrication processes on domestic lithography systems earlier than in 2030."Sep 17, 2025
Zhao Haijun"This timing difference has brought an even situation that the procured equipment may not be able to form production lines this [2026] year."Feb 25, 2026
ENKI.AI"Achieving mass production on [SMIC's] 5nm node by the end of 2026 will be a major validation point."Apr 08, 2026
China Crunch"SMIC’s next step involves expanding 5nm production from pilot lines in Shanghai to large-scale facilities in Tianjin and Shenzhen, potentially producing up to 30,000 wafers per month by late 2026."Oct 28, 2025
SemiWiki"SMIC may enter 5nm with small chip size (mobile application) by 2025 end or 2026 beginning."Apr 25, 2025
UBS Global Wealth Management"Our prior industry discussions suggested China targets to reach 150K -160K wpm advanced note [mass production] capacity by end-2027."Feb 25, 2026
WebProNews"However, higher costs and yields pose ongoing [mass production] hurdles [for SMIC] for immediate market impact [in the near future]."Apr 09, 2026
TechInsights"While SMIC’s N+3 process shows meaningful density improvements, our comparative measurements confirm it remains significantly less scaled than leading commercial 5nm nodes offered by TSMC and Samsung. "Feb 20, 2026
FinancialContent"By late 2025, SMIC’s advanced node capacity has reached an estimated 60,000 wafers per month, a figure expected to double by the end of next year [2026]."Dec 18, 2025
Nikkei Asia"China aims to boost output of relatively advanced [5nm or 5nm-class logic] chips to 100,000 wafers in one to two years, from less than 20,000 currently."Feb 24, 2026
Semiecosystem"Some believe that SMIC will try to put the 5nm-like technology into production in 2026."Jun 27, 2025
all-about-industries"The monthly production volume is expected to increase to 100,000 wafers within one to two years."Feb 26, 2026
Anton Shilov"N+3 demonstrates that SMIC can still push [mass production] density upwards without EUV, but only at rapidly rising cost and falling yield headroom. "Dec 12, 2025
© 2026 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 7.4.1
© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 7.4.1