Reuters: China starts production of home-grown immersion DUV chipmaking tools

Workers are seen in front of a "High NA EUV" lithography system at an Intel facility in Hillsboro, Oregon, U.S.
Photo: Reuters

China has begun mass producing domestically developed immersion deep-ultraviolet (DUV) lithography machines, a technology crucial to advanced chipmaking, a person familiar with the matter said, marking a key step forward in Beijing's drive to reduce its reliance on foreign technologies, Reuters writes.

Shanghai Aishengna Electronic Technology Group, a little-known Chinese state-owned company, is leading the production effort after incorporating teams from top Chinese lithography startups, the source said, declining to be named due to the sensitivity of the subject.

The development represents a win for Beijing's nationwide semiconductor self-sufficiency initiative, one of President Xi Jinping's highest priorities, but will not pose an immediate commercial threat for Dutch supplier ASML.

DUV is a key chipmaking tool long dominated by ASML.

The Information, a tech industry news outlet, first reported on China's development of the tool, noting ⁠that an unidentified state-backed company in Shanghai had begun manufacturing the machines and planned to produce about five this year and roughly 20 in 2027. Reuters is the first to report the identity of the company.

Aishengna's DUV machine is expected to require further testing and remains far from matching the Dutch firm's competing models, the source said.

Successful deployment would, however, give Chinese chipmakers an alternative source of equipment if Western governments further restrict exports or servicing of foreign lithography tools.

Chasing ASML

China has been barred by the U.S. from buying ASML's most advanced extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) lithography systems, while Dutch export controls ⁠have also restricted its access to some advanced DUV machines.

Immersion DUV machines use a layer of water between the projection lens and a silicon wafer to print smaller circuit patterns than conventional dry systems.

They are used to produce a broad range of chips and can also be pushed to manufacture ⁠more advanced semiconductors through multiple patterning, which requires repeated exposures of the same layer.

Reuters reported in December, citing sources, that China had succeeded in building a prototype of an EUV system, a tool key to building the world's most advanced chips, though it remains years from production.

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