China Claims "Deep Ultraviolet Lithography Equipment Represents a Significant Technological Leap"

Production Company Name Confidential
"Not Yet Released to Market"

China claimed to have made significant technological advances in two types of domestically produced deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography equipment.

On the 15th, Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) revealed this in a list of "key technological equipment" published this week.

The MIIT stated, "The lithography equipment has achieved important technological breakthroughs and holds independent intellectual property rights," but added, "They have not yet been released to the market." The manufacturers of the two pieces of equipment were not disclosed.

According to the MIIT, one of the two devices developed by China operates at a wavelength of 193 nm (nanometers, one billionth of a meter) with a resolution of less than 65 nm and an overlay accuracy of less than 8 nm. The other device operates at a wavelength of 248 nm, providing a resolution of 110 nm and an overlay accuracy of 25 nm.

Semiconductor wafer [Image source=EPA·Yonhap News]

Despite these achievements, Chinese equipment still has a large technological gap compared to the state-of-the-art products sold in the global market. For example, the advanced DUV lithography equipment manufactured by the Dutch semiconductor equipment company ASML offers a resolution of less than 38 nm and an overlay accuracy of 1.3 nm, far surpassing Chinese products. Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment, which uses even shorter wavelengths, already operates at 13.5 nm and has been commercialized.

Lithography technology is a core process that uses light to etch complex circuit patterns onto semiconductor substrates (silicon wafers), essential for advanced semiconductor manufacturing. China has been striving for semiconductor self-reliance by developing lithography equipment for years, but progress in developing technology necessary for mass production of cutting-edge semiconductors remains slow. ASML, which monopolizes EUV lithography equipment, has faced export restrictions to China since 2019. ASML is the only producer of advanced EUV lithography equipment required for manufacturing semiconductors below 7 nm.

SCMP reported, "However, according to corporate registration information disclosed on the 10th, SMEE filed a patent application last March for 'extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation generators and lithography equipment,' which is currently under review."