Huawei Unveils Tau Scaling Law, Targets 1.4 nm-Equivalent Chips by 2031
Updated
Updated · Huawei · May 21
Huawei Unveils Tau Scaling Law, Targets 1.4 nm-Equivalent Chips by 2031
3 articles · Updated · Huawei · May 21
381 chips over the past six years were designed and mass-produced under Huawei’s new Tau scaling approach, which the company says can keep raising transistor density and system performance beyond Moore’s Law limits.
Tau replaces geometric scaling with time-constant optimization, using technologies such as LogicFolding and UnifiedBus to cut signal delay, shorten critical paths and reduce system communication latency across devices, circuits, chips and systems.
Fall 2026 Kirin chips will be the first to use LogicFolding, a circuit architecture Huawei says will significantly improve performance by breaking traditional layout boundaries and trimming resistive and capacitive loads.
By 2031, Huawei expects high-end chips built on the Tau law to reach transistor density equivalent to 14 angstroms, or 1.4 nm, as the industry searches for alternatives to slowing, less economical transistor shrinkage.
Can Huawei's new 'time scaling' law make costly EUV lithography obsolete for next-generation chips?
Is this new scaling law the key for China to finally break free from Western semiconductor sanctions?
Will Huawei’s new AI chips force a global shift away from the dominant US-based GPU ecosystem?
Huawei Unveils Tau Scaling Law: Architectural Innovation Targets 1.4nm Chips by 2031
Overview
Huawei introduced the Tau (τ) Scaling Law on March 25, 2026, marking a major shift in chip development. Unveiled by He Tingbo and affectionately called “Her’s Law,” this new principle moves beyond the traditional focus of Moore’s Law, which guided the industry for over half a century by doubling transistor density through physical shrinking. As geometric miniaturization faces growing challenges like physical limits and rising costs, the Tau Scaling Law offers an innovative approach to overcome these barriers, aiming to keep advancing semiconductor technology even as traditional methods reach their limits.