
ARM's conflicts in China will complicate Nvidia's reported efforts to buy it - throw0101a
https://www.businessinsider.com/arm-conflict-china-complicates-acquisition-prospects-2020-8
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throw0101a
Opening:

> _UK-based chip designer Arm appears to no longer be in control of its joint-
> venture business unit, Arm China. In May, Arm fired Allen Wu, the head of
> Arm China, but Wu refused to acknowledge the decision and has continued
> overseeing operations of the business unit, according to Bloomberg._

> _Arm China also reportedly won 't let members of the UK parent entity onto
> its premises._

If ARM [Ltd/UK] revokes licensing deals with Arm China, would that prevent
export? Would that matter if the internal Chinese market is big enough?

~~~
posguy
If ARM revokes the license granted to Arm China, presumably neither TSMC or
Samsung will make chips for Arm China, leaving them with just SMIC's 14nm
process. Not a great place to be as a fabless chip firm!

Further development by SMIC of smaller processes could be hampered if ASML
(the group that makes lithography tools for everyone on or near the bleeding
edge of chip fabrication) decides to cease working with SMIC in the future.

Useful reading:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7_nm_process#Expected_commerci...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7_nm_process#Expected_commercialization_and_technologies)
[https://www.phonearena.com/news/14nm-kirin-710a-is-first-
chi...](https://www.phonearena.com/news/14nm-kirin-710a-is-first-chip-for-
huawei-made-by-smic_id124587) [https://www.gizchina.com/2020/05/26/smic-makes-
major-move-to...](https://www.gizchina.com/2020/05/26/smic-makes-major-move-
to-complete-its-7nm-8nm-processes/)

