I first heard of the immersion scanner project as part of the 14th FYP around 2016. It was part of a much broader collection of manufacturing equipment initiatives bucketed under MIC 2025. At the time I didn't think too much of it, since becoming competitive in domestic manufacturing equipment for semis seemed like one of those initiatives that would have to be tackled gradually, and in the meantime the chip design and chip fabrication space was where the most immediate impact on domestic innovation was. But when the equipment bans did come I wasn't that freaked out about it for similar reasons.
Chinese semiconductor industry
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South Korean semiconductor giants in US proposal on chip output
- Korean chip makers avoided having to stop all production expansion, innovation in China, under new proposed rules by the US
- The new proposal bans recipients of its Chips and Science Act from expanding chip production in China by more than 5% for next 10 years
I wonder if a loop hole would be for a company like that to scale down lower value production in China while scaling up higher value production. That way their net number of chips produced could still stay within +0.5% growth per year, but their profits would surge
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Chen Datong, who renounced his US citizenship to run a fund dedicated to help Chinese domestic chip players replace Western rivals, has been released from prison. This is certainly good news for China's semiconductor industry. According to FT, other Chinese Americans suddenly banned from working in the industry were afraid of giving up their US citizenship due to fear of being arrested. This could help some make their decisions. Honestly it seems like the PRC government is getting smarter than before. If you were pro Chinese semiconductor industry you would hope this lasts.
Not even sure that he was “released” on some quid pro quo for semiconductor projects. May have just been that he cooperated with investigators and his offenses weren’t severe enough for them to want to take the investigation to formal prosecution.
The restriction/ban on equipment that are used to make <=18nm DRAM or >=128L 3D NAND would still limit what Samsung and Hynix could do with their fabs in China. This doesn’t appear to have changed with the proposal on chip output
Sir under the CHIP ACT, both SK company can't use Chinese equipment if available?
no restriction on Chinese equipment. Only problem is no Chinese equipment could support the advanced nodes that Samsung and Hynix need to migrate to.
Chinese equipment are not even qualified nor used for D20…and leading DRAM node is already at D1b (separated by D1x/1y/1z/1a nodes….4 nodes). JHICC is able to rely on domestic equipment but they are producing something more akin to D25 DRAM at the moment.
The gap in 3D NAND is smaller. YMTC is working hard to qualify Chinese equipment for 128L 3D NAND, leading edge node ramping now is ~232L (only two nodes ahead of the node we are trying to ramp with Chinese equipment).
Domestic equipment readiness is not able to support Samsung and Hynix’s immediate fab expansion or technology roadmap needs.
the problem is that Lam has an entire ecosystem based around complementary etch and deposition products, while AMEC needs to work with 3rd party deposition suppliers like NAURA who have their own etch tools.
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