Bye bye ASML & TSMC! China now makes its own lithography machines

E

earth_imperator

https://techwireasia.com/2023/08/the-first-28nm-lithography-machine-in-china-this-year/
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China is anticipating its first 28nm lithography machine by the end of 2023
By Dashveenjit Kaur | 4 August, 2023

    • Shanghai Micro Electronics Equipment is expected to deliver its proprietary SSA/800-10W, a 28-nm lithography machine, by year’s end.
    • The significant technological breakthroughs are spurring hopes the
      can lessen its reliance on US semiconductor techniques.
In 2020, China was sure it was on track to make its own 28nm chips by late 2021 and 20nm chips by early 2023 – all without recourse to US fabrication technology and equipment. The confidence was attributed to progress at Shanghai Micro Electronic Equipment (SMEE) in developing ultraviolet (UV) based lithographic technology. Its first Chinese-assembled 28nm lithography machine was scheduled for customer delivery by the fourth quarter of 2021.

Regrettably, the US, Japan, and the Netherlands started imposing restrictions on Chinese companies on the sales of advanced wafer fab equipment, which hindered the progress of the state-owned SMEE. Chipmaking gear is regarded as among the weakest links in China’s semiconductor supply chain, an area currently dominated by firms including ASML Holding NV and Tokyo Electron Ltd.

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See also:
https://www.tomshardware.com/news/chinese-lithography-firm-to-debut-28nm-capable-scanner-report
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Chinese Firm's 'Breakthrough' 28nm Chipmaking Tool to Debut Soon: Report
By Anton Shilov, published 2 days ago
SMEE reportedly makes significant lithography breakthrough.

Shanghai Micro Electronics Equipment Group (SMEE), a state-backed firm, is on track to reveal its first scanner capable of producing chips on a 28nm process technology by the end of 2023, state-controlled the Global Times reports. The machine could help China reduce its dependency on foreign wafer fab equipment, Bloomberg noted.

SMEE is aiming to introduce the first domestically produced SSA/800-10W lithography machine to the market by the end of 2023, which would be a major breakthrough for the company, which currently only produces scanners good enough for 90nm nodes and older. The litho scanner is expected to use locally developed and produced components, which is why the stock price of China-based optical components manufacturers Mloptic, Kingsemi, and Castech were up on Wednesday.

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cn_lithography.png
 
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TWINSCAN NXE:3600D
The TWINSCAN NXE:3600D is ASML’s latest-generation lithography system, supporting EUV volume production at the 5 and 3 nm Logic nodes and leading-edge DRAM nodes.
13.5nm EUV light wavelength
13nm resolution
0.33 NA projection optics

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Anyway, China can easily catch up and produce the most advanced
lithography machine.
 
The challenge isn't just to make EUV once, it's the following:
- have a machine supply chain that enables production at industrial scale (vs. a single customer) ... this is what ASML does so well; and
- have the proprietary knowledge to operate the EUV machines effectively ... this is what TSMC (and Samsung) do so well.
 
China has 1.5bn people with an average IQ of 106. They can eventually duplicate any tech advance from Europe, the USA, or SK/Japan, unless the party imposes such a repressive and politicized system to seriously impair researchers’ ability to work.
 
I think so long it is not alien technology, it can be done.

It seems only we are the only one boasting about UFOs. If there are UFOs, they are not only going to talk to the Americans, LOL...
 
My working experience is in semi Assembly and Test. I may not be knowledgeable enough to speak about wafer process. But, here is an article best summarize semiconductor from raw material to finish product.
Mapping the Semiconductor Supply Chain: The Critical Role of the Indo-Pacific Region (csis.org)

As the chip process node gets smaller from 14nm to 3nm, equipment, material and chemical become critical. EUV and DUV are just lithography machines. Having the relevant chemical and material are critical too. Not to mention wafer manufacturing process leadership of TSMC. It has achieved 3nm production. All else being equal, Intel and Samsung are at best at 5nm. Of course, 3nm is an expensive process and only high value product like iphone can afford to use it.
 
Peter8519 said:
My working experience is in semi Assembly and Test. I may not be knowledgeable enough to speak about wafer process. But, here is an article best summarize semiconductor from raw material to finish product.
Mapping the Semiconductor Supply Chain: The Critical Role of the Indo-Pacific Region (csis.org)

As the chip process node gets smaller from 14nm to 3nm, equipment, material and chemical become critical. EUV and DUV are just lithography machines. Having the relevant chemical and material are critical too. Not to mention wafer manufacturing process leadership of TSMC. It has achieved 3nm production. All else being equal, Intel and Samsung are at best at 5nm. Of course, 3nm is an expensive process and only high value product like iphone can afford to use it.
More...


Intel can't make anything beyound 10nm. Its Meteor Lake 5nm is manufactured by TSMC.

Have you read the NYT article? We don't have enough engineers to work in TSMC AZ facility, and protest "foreign" technicians to fill the gap. What a big ego of the union,

https://9to5mac.com/2023/06/29/tsmc-arizona-chip-plant-delayed/

Read the comment by Vser, what a moron! Saying TSMC doesn't know how to build a Fab.
 
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mervyn said:
Intel can't make anything beyound 10nm. Its Meteor Lake 5nm is manufactured by TSMC.
More...
AMD tends to have better IPC than Intel. I would venture to say processor design and architecture play a part. Intel was stuck at 14nm mainly due to design issue. It was so bad that newer chip had to be put back on 14nm process.
 
Peter8519 said:
AMD tends to have better IPC than Intel. I would venture to say processor design and architecture play a part. Intel was stuck at 14nm mainly due to design issue. It was so bad that newer chip had to be put back on 14nm process.
More...

My last Intel cpu was a i3 in a Dell mini pc. Other PCs are all AMD chips.
 
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