You know what brother, I had this thought the other day, that the IC industry is all engineering, electrical and chemical and mechanical. But it is also an economics issue, because engineering needs to be funded.
What is the point here?
What is economics? Economics, the first read book about it, was by Adam Smith. In that book, the invisible hand was discussed. How that process of industry, and specialization, is moved along by an invisible hand, and how the economy will organize itself, it is via the forces of that invisible hand.
The IC industry, all that specialization in all facets is done by that invisible hand. The invisible hand of economic interaction, moves everything along in IC.
However, we need the technical competence for all the moving parts, the electrical, chemical, mechanical, engineering to fit too. If they fit, meaning that a certain standard of competence is reached, then that invisible hand will bring it all together.
Once we heard the news of 28nm fully domesticated, then once someone else breaks through in China will better processes for lower nodes, it will automatically drag everything along eventually. The invisible hand teaches us in real life that is how it works. And China has no shortage of STEM people. Heck, they landed on Mars on their first shot, in one of the most complicated space missions ever invented.
So, I do not think we need to track down every rumour. If they say they got this, and that fits into there, then the rest is coming along. It is inevitable.
That brings us to another point. What the invisible hand brings towards, but that can move things away at the the same time. 14nm now, when is 7nm next?
If it happens faster, that is real trouble for some in the world IC industry.
I would think that China would have a fully domesticated 7nm before President Trump gets re-elected.