Chinese technology giant Huawei Technologies has announced an ambitious long-term roadmap to develop advanced semiconductor chips by 2031, targeting transistor density equivalent to 1.4-nanometre process technology, despite ongoing U.S. sanctions that continue to restrict China’s access to cutting-edge chipmaking equipment.
The projection was unveiled on Monday as part of Huawei’s newly introduced “Tau Scaling Law,” a semiconductor development framework designed to improve chip performance through system-level innovation, rather than relying solely on traditional transistor miniaturization.
Huawei said the 1.4nm target is significant as it is expected to represent the frontier of global semiconductor manufacturing by the end of the decade, placing the company’s long-term ambitions close to the industry’s most advanced technological limits.
The concept was presented by He Tingbo, President of Huawei’s semiconductor business and Director of its Scientist Committee, during a keynote address titled “New Semiconductor Path in Practice” at the 2026 IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems (ISCAS) in Shanghai.
According to the company, the Tau Scaling Law focuses on reducing communication delays within chips by improving the speed at which data and signals move across internal architectures, rather than depending entirely on shrinking transistors a challenge that has become increasingly difficult for the global semiconductor industry.
Huawei stated that this approach could offer a potential pathway to sustained performance improvements despite restrictions imposed by the United States on China’s access to advanced lithography systems and other critical chipmaking technologies.
The company also revealed that its upcoming Kirin chip series, expected in late 2026, will be the first to feature a new architecture called “LogicFolding.” Huawei claims the design will reduce internal wiring complexity, thereby enhancing processing efficiency and overall chip performance.
While the company did not provide independent performance benchmarks, the announcement highlights its continued push toward semiconductor self-reliance amid ongoing geopolitical and technological constraints.
Huawei further disclosed that it has already designed and mass-produced 381 chips over the past six years under the Tau Scaling framework, with applications ranging from smartphones to artificial intelligence and high-performance computing systems.
The development underscores Huawei’s broader strategy to strengthen its position in China’s technology ecosystem, particularly in the smartphone market, while accelerating efforts to build a more independent and resilient semiconductor supply chain.
