China Showcases Domestic Chip Lithography Innovations in Pursuit of Semiconductor Self-Sufficiency Amid US Sanctions

China boasts about its domestically produced chip lithography equipment during its push for semiconductor independence. The Technology Ministry asserts that there have been 'noteworthy technological advancements' in deep-ultraviolet lithography by unidentified firms.

The government of China is endorsing two locally produced chip-manufacturing devices, claiming they have made substantial progress, as the nation pushes for technological independence in the face of U.S. sanctions.

The devices that engrave intricate circuits onto silicon wafers have made substantial technical advancements and hold proprietary rights, but they have not yet proven successful in the market, says the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). The MIIT did not disclose the names of the companies that produced these two devices.

According to a recent publication by the MIIT detailing "significant technological equipment," one of the profound ultraviolet (DUV) lithography machines works at a wavelength of 193 nanometers (nm). This machine can achieve a resolution less than 65nm and an overlay precision of less than 8nm. Another DUV machine, according to the same list, operates at a 248nm wavelength and can reach a resolution of 110nm and overlay accuracy of 25nm.

Machines utilizing deep ultraviolet (DUV) technology are not as advanced as those employing extreme ultraviolet (EUV) technology. EUV machines utilize light with a wavelength of only 13.5nm, which is nearly 14 times more precise than the 195nm wavelength used by D