Huawei Unveils Tau Scaling Law Targeting 1.4nm Chip Equivalence by 2031

Huawei unveiled a new semiconductor optimization framework called the Tau Scaling Law at an IEEE symposium in Shanghai on May 27, 2026, aiming to produce chips with performance equivalent to 1.4-nanometre processes by 2031. He Tingbo, president of Huawei's chip-design subsidiary HiSilicon, presented the approach as a strategic shift away from the traditional focus on shrinking transistor size dictated by Moore's Law. Instead, the Tau Scaling Law prioritizes reducing system-wide time constants and signal delays across computing architectures, optimizing communication time between chip elements and shortening internal wiring. Huawei claims this methodology could eliminate the need for extreme ultraviolet lithography machines, which the company cannot access due to U.S. export controls in place since 2019.

The technology will first appear in Kirin smartphone chips using a new LogicFolding architecture launching in autumn 2026, with He Tingbo promising a significant technological leap ahead and a new chip reveal before winter 2026. Huawei stated it has already mass-produced 381 chips based on this theory over the past six years. Broader mass production is expected from 2027 onward, with expansion into Ascend AI chips and computing clusters by 2030.

The announcement underscores Beijing's push for semiconductor self-sufficiency as U.S. sanctions restrict access to advanced Western equipment. China's current domestic capability stands at 7-nanometre processes, manufactured by SMIC for Huawei's Mate 60 series, while TSMC plans actual 1.4nm mass production by 2028. Wei Shaojun, vice chairman of the China Semiconductor Industry Association, stated the Tau Scaling Law and Moore's Law can coexist. Huawei currently leads China's AI chip market but faces rising domestic competition from Alibaba, which recently unveiled its Zhenwu M890 AI chip as Chinese firms collectively move to capture market share previously held by Nvidia, whose CEO Jensen Huang acknowledged the company has largely conceded China's AI chip market to Huawei.