Huawei has proposed a new principle called the 'Tao (τ) Law' as an alternative to Moore's Law, aiming to sustain semiconductor progress amid growing physical and financial constraints.
He Tingbo, President of Huawei's Semiconductor Business, introduced the concept at the International Circuit Systems Symposium (ISCAS) 2026, hosted by the IEEE.
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For decades, Moore's Law drove chip advancement by shrinking transistor sizes to pack more power into devices.
However, the industry now faces rising costs and diminishing returns from further miniaturization.
Huawei's Tao Law shifts focus from geometric shrinkage to 'time shrinkage'—reducing the time signals take to travel within a chip.
Shorter delays lead to faster and more efficient processors.
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A key technique is 'logic folding,' which Huawei compares to folding a long road into compact layers so traffic moves faster.
In chips, this approach reduces signal delay while increasing transistor density.
He Tingbo stated that Huawei has already designed and mass-produced 381 chips over the past six years using ideas related to this approach.
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The first major commercial product featuring logic folding will be Huawei's next Kirin 2026 mobile chip, expected to launch this autumn.
The company claims significant improvements in performance and energy efficiency.
Huawei believes chips developed under Tao Law could achieve transistor density equivalent to advanced 1.4nm process technology within five years.
This does not mean physically manufacturing a 1.4nm chip, but rather achieving similar computing capability through smarter architecture and signal optimization.
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At the event, He Tingbo emphasized that no single company can solve the semiconductor industry's challenges alone, calling for cooperation.
