The US Department of Commerce is investigating the origin of the 7nm Kirin 9000S processor in the Huawei Mate 60 Pro

Presented a few days ago flagship smartphone Huawei Mate 60 Pro provoked a little panic in the ranks of American congressmen. The reason was the 7nm Kirin 9000S chip, which could have been manufactured using American technology.

Here's What We Know

For several years, Huawei equipped flagship smartphones with Qualcomm chips without a 5G modem. The Mate 60 series saw the return of the Kirin processor. US congressmen believe that the Kirin 9000S chip could have been developed by Chinese company SMIC to circumvent US sanctions.

Manufacturers from China are denied access to equipment to manufacture chips to 7nm lithographic standards. It is believed that SMIC could have created the Kirin 9000S using additional tools paired with deep-UV lithography equipment, the supply of which is not yet banned in China.

The US Department of Commerce has decided to find out how the Kirin 9000S was created and what its structure is. There is no information about the possible consequences so far. White House spokesman Jake Sullivan did not give predictions. Counselor Joe Biden said a decision will be made after the investigation determines the exact origin of the processor.

Source: Bloomberg