Is China Producing 5nm Chips? The Truth Behind Chinese Semiconductor Advances in 2025

As the global semiconductor race heats up, many are wondering if China has caught up with the West in producing cutting-edge chips, especially at the 5nm node. Here's what you need to know about the state of Chinese chipset fabrication as of 2025.

What’s the Current Node for Most Chinese Chips?

While leading companies like TSMC (Taiwan) and Samsung (South Korea) are already producing chips at 3nm and even 2nm test runs, China is still catching up.

Most locally produced Chinese chipsets those designed and manufactured without foreign fabs are currently fabricated at the following levels:

14nm: Widely in production

12nm: In use for several mid-range processors

7nm: Achieved in limited quantities using older DUV (deep ultraviolet) tools

5nm: Not yet in mass production

Huawei & SMIC: Pushing the Limits

In 2023, Huawei shocked the world by launching the Kirin 9000s in the Mate 60 Pro, a chip reportedly made on SMIC's 7nm node. What's impressive? It was done without EUV lithography, the industry-standard for advanced nodes. Instead, SMIC pushed DUV lithography to its limits.

However, while this was a technological milestone, the process:

Has low yields

Is not scalable

And not efficient for 5nm or beyond

Why No 5nm Yet?

China faces significant roadblocks:

EUV machines, critical for 5nm production, are banned from export by companies like ASML (Netherlands) due to geopolitical sanctions.

Current DUV-only approaches can’t easily scale below 7nm without massive complexity and cost.

Even domestic tools and software needed for 5nm are still under development.

The Bottom Line

As of 2025:

5nm Chinese chips are not mass-produced

Most local chips still use 7nm, 12nm, or 14nm processes

China is making progress, but limitations in tools and trade restrictions are slowing down true next-gen manufacturing

What’s Next?

China is investing billions into building a self-reliant semiconductor ecosystem, and companies like SMIC, Huawei, and YMTC are at the front lines. But until EUV alternatives or domestic breakthroughs occur, 5nm and 3nm fabrication will remain out of reach for now.