My thoughts as well. 5G is their core. Did they actually have TSMC make their radio-frequency chips as well? Is that a fact? I thought TSMC was mainly for their cell phone chips. They were able to switch to SMIC for their Kirin 710A quite quickly so I would imagine that if the radio frequency chips can be made with 14nm tech then it would not take that long to switch to SMIC. But not sure if that’s the case.
Chinese semiconductor industry
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My thoughts as well. 5G is their core. Did they actually have TSMC make their radio-frequency chips as well? Is that a fact? I thought TSMC was mainly for their cell phone chips. They were able to switch to SMIC for their Kirin 710A quite quickly so I would imagine that if the radio frequency chips can be made with 14nm tech then it would not take that long to switch to SMIC. But not sure if that’s the case.
I imagine that a 14nm chip is part of Huaweis backup plan, although who knows how effective it will be. It is however something they can control, unlike 7nm production.
1.4 trillion for "next gen tech." I wonder how much of that will find its way to the weaker sectors of the semiconductor industry. I hope they aren't spending that on AI. Less software, more hardware.
I actually tend to think that most tech is overhyped, while semiconductors fly under the radar.
Can't do software without hardware.
Software is low capital, that's why Indians did ok in IT.
Now China must learn to go hardware.
I have confidence China will catch up in engineering fields quickly since you don't need to raise crops and animals and wait for them to grow for experiments.
Military ICs tend to trail way behind the commercial, so that should be the least of worries.
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Hendrik_2000
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Via antonius China has been researching EUV for some time now This article dated June 2017 So I expect some progress has been made in the intervening years . It is not like China wake up yesterday and decide to make EUV.
Key technologies of extreme ultraviolet lithography has past the final acceptance
In June 21, 2017, the final acceptance meeting of “the research on the key technologies of extreme ultraviolet(EUV) lithography”, which is one project of the “Manufacturing equipment and complete process of very large scale integrated circuit” project supported by National Science and Technology Major Project of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, was held in Changchun Institute of Optics, fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences(CIOMP). The office of administration for implementing major project organized the meeting. The panel experts fully recognized the achievements of the project and approved the final acceptance of the project. The successful implementation of the project is an important step forward in the development of Chinese EUV lithography technology.
EUV lithography is a kind of projection lithography using the 13.5nm wavelength light. It is a reasonable extension of traditional lithography towards shorter wavelength. As the next generation of lithography, EUV lithography has been entrusted with the mission to save Moore's law. EUV lithography technology represents the highest level of applied optics. As a prospective research, this project consists of project indicators with highest standards, technical difficulties with tremendous bottlenecks, high innovation, as well as the serious technical blockade from developed countries.
Since 1990s, CIOMP has been focused on the research of EUV/X-ray imaging technology, especially in EUV light source, ultra-smooth surface polishing technology, EUV multilayer and correlation technology. And those aforesaid techniques form the applicative foundation of EUV optics. In 2002, the first EUV lithography prototype in China was developed, which verified the EUV lithography in principle. In 2008, EUV lithography technology was listed as a key research task in "32-22nm equipment technology forward-looking research" by the major project. CIOMP carried out the project of “The research on the key technologies of extreme ultraviolet lithography” as a leading organization, together with partners such as CAS Institute of Optics and Electronics, CAS Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, CAS Institute Microelectronics, Beijing Institute of Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology.
The research team insisted the scientific spirit of perseverance, concentrates on the research, and accumulates propound knowledge. With eight years’ hard work, they have mastered a series of core technologies that limit the development of Chinese EUV lithography, such as ultrahigh accuracy aspheric mirror fabrication and testing, EUV multilayer, projection system integration and test, etc. A two-mirror EUVL objective system with the wave-front aberration better than 0.75 nm RMS was developed successfully, and a EUV lithography exposure apparatus was constructed. Using the apparatus, they achieved the first photoresist exposure pattern with 32 nm linewidth by EUV lithography in China. They established a relatively perfect research and development platform for key technology of exposure optical system, complete successfully the research contents and tasks of national major project, achieve leapfrog development in EUV optical imaging technology, and enhance significantly the core technologies of Chinese EUV lithography. At the same time, the implementation of the project contributed the establishment of a stable research team, and trained talents for our country to achieve sustainable development in the next generation lithography technology.
![[IMG]](http://english.ciomp.cas.cn/News/News_son/201708/W020170810366856313804.jpg "[IMG]")
Group photo taken in the final acceptance meeting scene( Photo by CIOMP)
Key technologies of extreme ultraviolet lithography has past the final acceptance
In June 21, 2017, the final acceptance meeting of “the research on the key technologies of extreme ultraviolet(EUV) lithography”, which is one project of the “Manufacturing equipment and complete process of very large scale integrated circuit” project supported by National Science and Technology Major Project of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, was held in Changchun Institute of Optics, fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences(CIOMP). The office of administration for implementing major project organized the meeting. The panel experts fully recognized the achievements of the project and approved the final acceptance of the project. The successful implementation of the project is an important step forward in the development of Chinese EUV lithography technology.
EUV lithography is a kind of projection lithography using the 13.5nm wavelength light. It is a reasonable extension of traditional lithography towards shorter wavelength. As the next generation of lithography, EUV lithography has been entrusted with the mission to save Moore's law. EUV lithography technology represents the highest level of applied optics. As a prospective research, this project consists of project indicators with highest standards, technical difficulties with tremendous bottlenecks, high innovation, as well as the serious technical blockade from developed countries.
Since 1990s, CIOMP has been focused on the research of EUV/X-ray imaging technology, especially in EUV light source, ultra-smooth surface polishing technology, EUV multilayer and correlation technology. And those aforesaid techniques form the applicative foundation of EUV optics. In 2002, the first EUV lithography prototype in China was developed, which verified the EUV lithography in principle. In 2008, EUV lithography technology was listed as a key research task in "32-22nm equipment technology forward-looking research" by the major project. CIOMP carried out the project of “The research on the key technologies of extreme ultraviolet lithography” as a leading organization, together with partners such as CAS Institute of Optics and Electronics, CAS Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, CAS Institute Microelectronics, Beijing Institute of Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology.
The research team insisted the scientific spirit of perseverance, concentrates on the research, and accumulates propound knowledge. With eight years’ hard work, they have mastered a series of core technologies that limit the development of Chinese EUV lithography, such as ultrahigh accuracy aspheric mirror fabrication and testing, EUV multilayer, projection system integration and test, etc. A two-mirror EUVL objective system with the wave-front aberration better than 0.75 nm RMS was developed successfully, and a EUV lithography exposure apparatus was constructed. Using the apparatus, they achieved the first photoresist exposure pattern with 32 nm linewidth by EUV lithography in China. They established a relatively perfect research and development platform for key technology of exposure optical system, complete successfully the research contents and tasks of national major project, achieve leapfrog development in EUV optical imaging technology, and enhance significantly the core technologies of Chinese EUV lithography. At the same time, the implementation of the project contributed the establishment of a stable research team, and trained talents for our country to achieve sustainable development in the next generation lithography technology.
Group photo taken in the final acceptance meeting scene( Photo by CIOMP)
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32nm, that's similar to the NXE3100 ASML delivered in 2010, 5 years before the 16nm capable, 80W NXE3350B.
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