Rumor
SMIC's N+2 Process Yield for Cambricon 690 Reported at Approximately 20%
Thursday, December 4, 2025 at 07:43 AM
An unconfirmed report from a supply chain watcher claims that SMIC is achieving a low yield of around 20% on its N+2 process node for manufacturing the Cambricon 690 AI chip.
Context
Reports as of December 2025 indicate that SMIC's N+2 process is achieving only about a 20% yield for Cambricon's advanced 690 AI chips. This means roughly four out of five silicon dies are unusable, posing a significant challenge for production. The low yield is attributed to SMIC's reliance on multi-patterning (DUV) technology, rather than more advanced EUV, which inherently limits achievable yields and makes improvements difficult.
This low yield critically impacts Cambricon's ambitious plans to deliver approximately 500,000 AI accelerators in 2026, including up to 300,000 of its high-end 590 and 690 models. Analysts suggest that yields would need to increase substantially, potentially to 60-70%, for Cambricon to meet its production targets. The current situation highlights a major bottleneck in the supply chain for advanced AI chips, affecting Cambricon's ability to scale production and compete effectively.
Sources (7)
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