Qualcomm to license patents behind Huawei's LogicFolding chip architecture

Qualcomm and Huawei reach patent deal

According to Bloomberg, Qualcomm has agreed to license the patents behind Huawei's LogicFolding chip-stacking method. The multi-year cross-license covers 5G devices, AI services, near- and co-packaged optics and networks. Qualcomm also intends to purchase specific Huawei US patents in compute, AI and networking.

What is LogicFolding?

LogicFolding splits nearly every block of a chip across two dies bonded face to face. It targets faster data transmission as a workaround for China's lack of access to EUV lithography machines. The technology was first unveiled on May 25 by He Tingbo, president of Huawei's semiconductor business, at IEEE ISCAS 2026 in Shanghai.

Used in the Kirin 9050 Pro

LogicFolding appears in the Kirin 9050 Pro, which powers the Huawei Mate XT 2 tri-fold smartphone launched on September 7. Chinese review channel Geekerwan had a lab slice the chip, and semiconductor researcher Kurnal posted annotated die shots. The teardown shows the lower die holds mostly cache and I/O.

Claimed gains in numbers

In a paper relayed by TrendForce, Huawei said the chip uses a 1.5-micrometer hybrid-bonding pitch with about 50 million interconnects. The company claims power reductions of up to 66% for the NPU, 58% for the GPU and 41% for a CPU performance core at the same performance level. Huawei does not name a process node.

Roadmap and open questions

Huawei's roadmap includes a Kirin chip at a 1-micrometer pitch in 2027 and LogicFolding in the Ascend 990 AI accelerator around 2030. According to Reuters via TrendForce, HiSilicon designs the Kirin chips and SMIC is believed to make them. It is not stated who handles the bonding. The deal remains subject to approval, and Qualcomm will reportedly pay Huawei to license its patents for the first time.