Semiconductor main Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) halted shipments to China-based chip designer Sophgo after a chip it made was discovered on a Huawei AI processor, based on two folks conversant in the matter, Reuters reported on Saturday.
Sophgo had ordered chips from TSMC that matched the one discovered on Huawei’s Ascend 910B, the folks mentioned.
Huawei is restricted from shopping for the expertise to guard U.S. nationwide safety. Reuters couldn’t decide how the chip ended up on the Huawei product.
Sophgo mentioned in a press release on its web site on Sunday that it was in compliance with all legal guidelines and had by no means engaged in any business relationship with Huawei. Sophgo, which is affiliated with cryptocurrency mining tools firm Bitmain, mentioned it had supplied an in depth investigation report back to TSMC to show that it was not associated to Huawei.
TSMC declined to remark. Huawei didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
The U.S. Department of Commerce mentioned it was conscious of stories of potential violations of U.S. export controls, however it couldn’t touch upon whether or not any investigation was ongoing.
Tech analysis agency TechInsights found the TSMC chip on Huawei’s Ascend 910B when it took aside the multi-chip processor, a distinct supply instructed Reuters on Tuesday. Alerted to the discovering, the supply mentioned that about two weeks in the past, TSMC notified the U.S.
At about the identical time, TSMC additionally halted shipments to a consumer, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing a Taiwan official who mentioned the suspension got here after the corporate found a chip it provided to the consumer ended up in a Huawei product.
TSMC alerted Taiwan and U.S. authorities and commenced an in depth investigation, the official mentioned. But the official didn’t identify the consumer, which the most recent sources recognized as Sophgo. The Information tech news outlet additionally reported the identify on Saturday.
TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, mentioned earlier this week that it had not provided Huawei since mid-September 2020 and that it “proactively communicated” with the Commerce Department relating to the matter.
“We are not aware that TSMC is the subject of any investigation at this time,” the corporate assertion mentioned.
Shenzhen-based Huawei mentioned in a press release on Tuesday that it had not produced any chips through TSMC after the U.S. imposed new export guidelines on the corporate in 2020.
In 2020, the U.S. expanded its authority to cease shipments of foreign-produced objects to Huawei which can be the direct product of U.S. expertise or software program, together with TSMC’s chips.
Before then, TSMC provided chips for Huawei’s Ascend collection, sources instructed Reuters earlier this 12 months. Its Ascend 910B, launched in 2022, is seen as probably the most superior AI chip obtainable from a Chinese firm.
In August, the Research Institute for Democracy, Society and Emergency Technology (DSET) in Taiwan reported that Bitmain, which it described as a number one Chinese built-in circuit design enterprise and provider of cryptocurrency mining machines, was “aiming to challenge the AI chip market dominance of Nvidia and AMD.”
The DSET report described Sophgo as a Bitmain affiliate. Sophgo was co-founded by Micree Zhan, who additionally co-founded Bitmain, based on a company registration database.
The firm additionally communicated with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission in 2023 utilizing a Bitmain e mail tackle and the identify Xiamen Sophgo Technologies Ltd.
In 2021, prosecutors raided Bitmain’s operations in Taiwan and accused two Bitmain associates of illegally recruiting Taiwanese semiconductor engineers and illegally conducting analysis and growth actions, based on a press release by the New Taipei prosecutor’s workplace.
Four Taiwanese defendants pleaded responsible and got fines, based on the assertion.
Sophgo’s web site says it has analysis and growth facilities in additional than 10 cities in China and different international locations.
Source: www.dailysabah.com