Introduction
China’s pursuit of chiplets is symbolic of its resilience and determination to overcome the challenges posed by US sanctions and establish self-reliance in the semiconductor industry. Chiplets, a modular approach to chip design and manufacturing, are emerging as a viable workaround for China to mitigate the impact of export bans, enhance domestic chip development, and remain competitive in crucial technology sectors.
This article will delve into the significance of chiplets and how it is helping China to keep its semiconductor market running.
Follow us on Linkedin for everything around Semiconductors & AI
Amidst the Stranglehold of US Sanctions
For years, US sanctions have restricted the development of China’s semiconductor industry by impeding access to advanced chipmaking technologies.
These sanctions, particularly the ban on selling certain chipmaking technologies to China, have forced Chinese companies to explore alternative paths to achieve technological autonomy.
Chiplets, with their modular design and potential for circumventing restrictions on importing advanced chip technologies, have emerged as a compelling solution.
What are Chiplets and How Do They Work?
To put it simply, chiplets are like Lego pieces for computers.
Imagine you have a collection of Lego bricks, each designed for a specific function – some are engines, some are wheels, and some are windows. You can take these different pieces and snap them together to create a custom vehicle that suits your needs.
Similarly, It is tiny electronic components, and these individual chiplets with specific functions are integrated to form a complete system. 
Say This approach not only reduces manufacturing costs but also enhances functionality and scalability. In addition, it offers the flexibility to replace individual chiplets with newer, more advanced versions without overhauling the entire chip.
The potential of chiplets to support continued growth in the post-Moore’s Law era has garnered significant attention, with major industry players such as AMD, Intel, and Apple already leveraging this technology in their products.
Read More: Chiplets, AI and Beyond: Intel Blueprint for Future-Ready Chips -techovedas
How China plans to use Chiplets for technological advancement
For Chinese chip companies, the embrace of chiplets represents a strategic avenue to accelerate the development of more powerful chips domestically.
By leveraging chiplets, China can potentially attain computing power comparable to that of the advanced chips barred by US sanctions. This approach not only allows China to bypass restrictions on importing advanced technologies but also affords the opportunity to bolster its technological capabilities in vital sectors such as artificial intelligence (AI).
AI applications often require specialized processing units for tasks such as training deep learning models, executing inference algorithms, and handling large-scale data processing.
Chiplets enable the creation of specialized AI accelerators tailored to the unique requirements of different AI workloads. This customization results in improved energy efficiency and performance for AI tasks.
Read More: What is 2D, 2.5D & 3D Packaging of Integrated Chips? – techovedas
Investment and Innovation in the Chiplet Ecosystem
Recognizing this transformative potential of chiplets, both the Chinese government and venture capitalists have channelled substantial investments into the domestic chiplet industry.
Academic researchers are at the forefront of driving innovation in chiplet manufacturing, supported by initiatives such as the National Nature Science Foundation of China’s funding for chiplet research projects.
Moreover, there has been emergence of Chinese chiplet-focused startups like Polar Bear Tech which announced last year of completing a funding round worth of over 100 million yuan. Other startups like Chiplego, and Calculet have also garnered significant venture backing.
Challenges Remain
1.Technical challenges
While chiplets offer compelling advantages, they also present challenges that necessitate careful consideration.
The modular nature of chiplets entails a higher reliance on connections, which in turn introduces the risk of system-wide failure if any individual connection malfunctions.
Additionally, the integration of multiple chiplets may lead to increased power consumption and thermal issues, potentially hindering performance and chip longevity. Thus, totally relying on chiplets might not be a good option.
2.Standarization of chiplet protocols
To avoid those problems, different companies designing chiplets must adhere to the same protocols and technical standards.
Globally, major companies came together in 2022 to propose Universal Chiplet Interconnect Express (UCIe), an open standard on how to connect chiplets. But some Chinese entities have come up with their own chiplet standards.
In fact, different research alliances have proposed at least two Chinese chiplet standards as alternatives to UCIe in 2023.
Without a universal standard recognized by everyone in the industry, chiplets won’t be able to achieve the level of customizability that the technology promises. And their downsides could make companies around the world go back to traditional one-piece chips.
Conclusion: the road ahead for China’s chiplet endeavor
As China charts its course in the chiplet landscape, it is essential to acknowledge that chiplets, while offering a shortcut to technological advancement, do not singularly resolve the broader challenges confronting the semiconductor industry i.e. common standards.
If handled with flexibility, the transformative potential of chiplets, combined with concerted investment and innovation efforts, is poised to position China as a formidable player in the global semiconductor arena.
