BlockBeats News, June 15th. SemiAnalysis STEEL Lab released a report on the in-depth teardown of the Huawei Mate 80 Pro equipped with the Kirin 9030 Pro, confirming its use of the SMIC N+3 process. The minimum metal pitch is only 32.5nm, approximately 10% tighter than Intel's 36nm in the 18A node. Through aggressive DUV multi-patterning + DTCO optimization, N+3 achieved a logic density equivalent to TSMC N6 (about 113.4 MTr/mm², slightly higher than N6's 107.7), but at the cost of higher process complexity, cost, and yield control.

The Kirin 9030 Pro chip architecture saw performance improvements as it is an evolution of the Kirin 9020. The die size is similar but with higher utilization: adding 1 middle core, increasing GPU CUs from 4 to 6, adding NPU Tiny cores, and expanding the cache. The CPU/GPU/NPU core areas have significantly decreased (middle core by 22%, GPU CU by 28%), with a notable performance boost compared to the previous generation (GPU 3DMark increased by 70-79%). However, it still lags behind current flagships (Apple, Snapdragon 8 Elite, etc.), with a larger energy efficiency gap, approaching the level of Android flagships from nearly 3 years ago.

The SemiAnalysis report pointed out that export controls have not hindered China's advancement in advanced processes but have forced SMIC to take a more complex DUV route. In the future, it will rely on tighter design rules, backside power delivery, and Huawei's LogicFolding stacking technology. N+3 demonstrates the resilience of China's semiconductor industry, but there is still a gap compared to leading nodes. Maturity and cost remain the primary constraints.

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