- Huawei's new semiconductor design addresses heat management issues.
- The transistor density of the new Kirin chips increases by 55%.
- Vertical stacking technology effectively reduces heat and lowers power consumption.
- The technology helps Chinese chipmakers improve performance.
Huawei has announced a new vertical stacking semiconductor design that aims to solve one of the biggest problems facing its next-generation smartphone chips: heat management. The company has released new measurement data based on the Tau Scaling Law architecture, claiming that its upcoming Kirin processors will use less power while increasing transistor density and operating at lower temperatures than the previous generation. These findings are crucial for Huawei to improve chip performance in China, where access to advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment is limited. The research was led by He Tingbo, chair of Huawei's Scientific Research Committee and president of the company's semiconductor business unit.
New Technology Solves Heat Bottleneck
The paper refutes concerns that vertical stacking of logic circuits would create a heat bottleneck, hindering the technology's application in high-performance mobile processors. According to the paper, the new Kirin chip has 55% more transistors per square millimeter than the Kirin 9030 Pro and can reduce power consumption by up to 66% under certain key workloads. The vertical stacking technique effectively reduces heat, a method based on Huawei's LogicFolding architecture, which stacks active chip layers vertically rather than placing all circuits in a traditional two-dimensional layout.
This arrangement shortens the distance signals travel between processing components, which Huawei says reduces energy loss in neural processing units, graphics processing units, central processing units, and digital signal processors—key sources of power and thermal load in smartphone processors.
Heat Management and Performance Boost
The company also uses thermal planning to more effectively disperse heat within the chip. According to a report by Kaiyuan Securities, Huawei has reduced the source power density through folding technology and placed the hottest modules on paths that are easier to cool. The manufacturer states, "The new chip reduces power consumption while increasing transistor density, allowing it to flexibly switch between functional limits and peak performance." This strategy is particularly important as it was developed under restrictions on China's access to the most advanced chip manufacturing tools. Huawei's Tau Scaling Law, introduced in May, proposes a different path to increasing transistor density without relying on cutting-edge EUV lithography technology.
Huawei claims that LogicFolding could eventually achieve transistor density equivalent to a 1.4-nanometer manufacturing process by 2031.
The company has published three papers on the Tau Scaling Law since May. A paper released in July indicated that the upcoming smartphone processor could increase transistor density by as much as 55% compared to the Kirin 9030 Pro. The latest research findings also highlight Huawei's extensive progress in chip packaging and 3D integration. Analysts predict that the technology will spur the development of new semiconductor materials, packaging methods, and equipment, helping Chinese chipmakers improve performance without complete reliance on foreign manufacturing technology.
Zheng Lei, chief economist at Samoyed Cloud Technology Group, described the approach as "born out of necessity," but he believes there is still room for development. He also expects the new Kirin processor to solve overheating issues through this method.
Therefore, if the claimed combination of high density, low power consumption, and improved heat management is confirmed in independent tests, vertical integrated chip design will become an increasingly important method for extracting performance as traditional scaling becomes difficult. The research has been published on ChinaXiv, a Chinese scientific paper platform, where papers are not yet peer-reviewed.
Potential Impact of Vertical Stacking Technology
Huawei's vertical stacking semiconductor design demonstrates significant progress in heat management and transistor density, which is crucial for smartphone performance. As global demand for high-performance processors increases, this technology not only enhances product competitiveness but could also promote indigenous innovation in China's semiconductor sector. Especially in the face of external technological restrictions, this new approach may become an important trend in future chip design, helping Huawei maintain its competitive edge in the global market.