China Promotes Micro Han Xin Code for Semiconductor Marking in Bid to Challenge US Data Matrix Standard

According to the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), China is developing a compact version of its Han Xin barcode, named "Micro Han Xin," specifically for semiconductor identification. On Monday, the regulator announced that this smaller adaptation of the 2007 symbology has begun the formal process of international standardization. These codes cater to computer components that are too diminutive for traditional labeling, providing unique identifiers for sensors, microprocessors, controllers, memory units, and other elements, facilitating tracking throughout manufacturing, packaging, and testing stages. This initiative follows Beijing's unsuccessful attempt to replace the QR code and signifies a strategic shift to compete against established foreign technologies in high-end industrial uses. SAMR noted that China's semiconductor industry heavily depends on foreign systems, particularly the Data Matrix, developed in the U.S. nearly four decades ago, which remains the global standard for marking semiconductors, silicon wafers, and electronic components.