Chinese technology company Huawei Technologies announced Monday it anticipates creating advanced semiconductors by 2031 with transistor density matching 1.4-nanometre processes, even as U.S. trade restrictions continue to limit China’s ability to manufacture cutting-edge chips.
The announcement represents the most notable aspect of what Huawei terms the Tau Scaling Law, a fresh approach to semiconductor advancement as the industry moves beyond simply reducing transistor size.
He Tingbo, who leads Huawei’s semiconductor division and serves on its Scientist Committee, presented this new framework during a presentation called “New Semiconductor Path in Practice” at Monday’s 2026 IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems (ISCAS) held in Shanghai, according to the company.
While Huawei has not released independent verification of performance metrics, the 1.4 nm goal carries importance since this measurement is anticipated to represent the global standard for cutting-edge chip manufacturing by decade’s end.
Industry observers generally believe China faces challenges reaching such technological levels through traditional production methods, as Washington has limited Chinese access to sophisticated lithography equipment and other essential semiconductor tools.
According to Huawei, the Tau Scaling Law concentrates on reducing the duration required for signals and information to travel within chips and computer systems. Should this approach succeed, it might provide the company with methods to enhance performance and chip capacity while working around limitations on China’s access to the most sophisticated semiconductor machinery.
The company stated that its upcoming Kirin processors, set for release in fall 2026, will be the initial products incorporating a connected design called LogicFolding, which Huawei claims will reduce internal chip wiring and significantly boost performance.
Huawei reported it has created and manufactured 381 different chips during the previous six years using the Tau Scaling Law principles, with applications spanning mobile devices and artificial intelligence computing.
