Those different things and different types of sales, ASML is selling EUVL machines and DUVi machines while SMEE sales are from other types of lithography machines, packaging , mems, TFT that ASML doesn't even make and some are from their Krf and the I-line litho machines. For now Canon is the main competition of SMEE but when their immersion machine is ready for production and with the help of US sanctions, ASML will be their main competitor in the near future. Hopefully.
Chinese semiconductor industry
- Thread starter Hendrik_2000
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Don't disagree there's some secondary equipment being used cleaning, EDA etc... but I am a bit surprised at the situation on Lithography. At legacy nodes there's no excuse why a device isn't being used for mass production if you have that capability.
You can only produce so many machines in a year. We are talking about a nation that needs to scale up VS a block that has scaled up for decades.
And only recently China was forced to scale up capacity and tech.
manqiangrexue
Brigadier
That's obviously not how it works; you're pretending that both have mature products and are competing in sales. Actually, ASML is and was always in the mature product sale phase while SMEE is in the technological advancement phase (when it comes to important machines anyway). Basically, if you were funding your research into aerospace by selling small gadgets and in 2 years, you went from foam glider to jet prototype while your gadget business stagnated and Boeing saw a sales increase, it doesn't mean you are falling further behind Boeing; it means you have successfully put yourself on the map and narrowed the technological gap.
That agreement with the ICRD dates back to 2017.
The latecomer dilemma, by the time SMEE launched their FrontEnd lithography machines in 2016-2017 the market was already monopolized by ASML. Most companies are accustomed to ASML and they are not going to change for the sake of patriotism. Now the sanctions have changed that, if SMIC does not have access to ASML machines it means that they must collaborate with SMEE to develop lithography machines and ensure its future. In theory is the same thing that happened with ASML and TSMC, they helped each other. Again, hopefully
That shows you how deep ASML is in the China semiconductor industry.
Read the entire thread?!? Anyway... He is new member... It might be necessary if his is not too familiar with lithography and the state of the Chinese semiconductor industry in general. My field is mechanical engineering... It is from this thread and others such as the one started by the infamous Tidal Wave that I familiarized myself with the basics and a little more with regards IC chip manufacturing processes, especially with regards to lithography. Reading from this and related threads and using this and other threads as a basis to do google and YouTube research.
Indeed. The GTA semi fab ( the most advanced automotive and power machinery IGBT and IC fab in China) acquired an ASML DUV Lithography machine in 2020.
The irony is that power ICs (IGBT, SIC, GaN) are closer to military applications than SMIC ICs, they are putting themselves at high risk of sanctions by becoming dependent on U.S. equipment. I know ASML is not from the U.S. but the Arf excimers lasers are.
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