Lithography systems: China allegedly builds EUV machine
China is set to mass-produce complex EUV systems as early as 2026. However, this does not seem particularly realistic.
(Image: Macro photo/Shutterstock.com)
Based on Tiktok and X, a picture of a Chinese machine with the bold inscription “EUV” is circulating. Many conclude from this that China could soon be producing chips using highly complex extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography technology.
This would be a huge success for the country, as so far only ASML from the Netherlands has mass-produced EUV lithography systems. However, ASML is not allowed to sell these to Chinese chip manufacturers such as SMIC due to export restrictions. Current EUV lithography systems expose chip structures with a wavelength of 13.5 nanometers. They are necessary for the most modern production processes.
China's largest chip contract manufacturer SMIC currently produces chips with 7 nm structures, primarily for Huawei. Without EUV lithography systems, the manufacturer has to rely on multi-patterning with a deep ultraviolet wavelength (DUV, 193 nm wavelength). The finer the structures become, the more exposure passes are required, which increases the error rate. Even the 7 nm process should only be economically viable thanks to subsidies.
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Meanwhile, the machine from China is marked with additional characters, which Google translates as “EUV lithography lens alignment [and] interferometer”. According to this, it is a device for aligning and possibly testing modern silicon wafers. However, it has nothing to do with a lithography system for exposing chips, but is an accompanying machine for production. This also explains why the box only looks about half the size of ASML's EUV lithography systems.
The term EUV is not clearly defined. Other wavelengths also fall within this range of the spectrum, such as argon plasma laser sources that emit radiation at 46.9 nm. FZ JĂĽlich is researching how this radiation can be used for EUV interference lithography.
(Image:Â ASML)
China is reportedly planning to start pre-series production of EUV machines in summer 2025 and series production in 2026. However, there are as yet no reliable sources indicating that SMIC or other companies will actually be able to manufacture chips using EUV technology in the near future.
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Beware of reports on Chinese chip production
Meanwhile, misinformation about the Chinese semiconductor industry has been accumulating since 2024. Last autumn, for example, speculation circulated that China had developed its own DUV systems for production processes up to 8 nm. The source for this was Chinese government documents, which were presumably translated incorrectly.
They state that domestic companies can manufacture systems with DUV lithography for 65 nm processes with an “overlay” of 8 nm. Overlay typically refers to the alignment accuracy of wafers.
(mma)
