TSMC Defends Transistor Scaling Amid Huawei’s ‘Her’s Law’ Proposal

At TSMC’s European Symposium in Amsterdam, Kevin Zhang, Senior VP and Deputy COO, responded to Huawei’s proposal of 'Her’s Law,' an alternative to Moore’s Law based on 'Tao scaling,' which emphasizes ... Read original →

Huawei’s 'Her’s Law' is a strategic detour under U.S. tech sanctions—lacking EUV access, it pivots to 3D integration and system-level performance gains. Yet TSMC (Taiwan, China) insists transistor scaling remains irreplaceable, citing 30% energy efficiency gains unattainable via packaging alone. This divergence will reshape the upstream stack: EDA, TSV, and hybrid bonding tools gain urgency, while mainland foundries like SMIC double down on Chiplet ecosystems above 28nm. The ESMC Dresden fab (ramping in 2029) reflects Europe’s sovereignty-driven hedge against supply shocks. Over the next 18 months, the industry bifurcates: U.S.-aligned players advance CFET/GAA to extend Moore’s Law, while sanctioned entities build EUV-free heterogeneous integration standards. If Her’s Law anchors China’s national roadmap, it risks fragmenting the global semiconductor ecosystem into incompatible technical spheres.