Chinese semiconductor thread II
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Photomask substrate company Coremicro successfully completes angel round financing
Recently, Xinrong Micro (Suzhou) Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Xinrong Micro") successfully completed its angel round of financing, which was exclusively invested by a fund under Qianrong Holdings. At the same time, the Xinrong Micro project was officially launched in Suzhou Industrial Park.
It is understood that the funds raised in this angel round will be mainly used for core technology research and development and breakthroughs, selection and preparation of key production equipment, expansion of the R&D and production team, and initial production line construction. The focus will be on promoting the localization of photomask substrate related technologies, improving product precision and quality, accelerating market layout, and helping the company to quickly achieve large-scale production.
Founded in 2025 and headquartered in Suzhou Industrial Park, Xinrong Microelectronics is a high-tech enterprise specializing in photomask substrates, focusing on the domestic substitution of mid-to-high-end photomask substrates. The company has deep expertise in advanced semiconductor processes and high-precision flat panel displays, accumulating profound experience in key processes such as polishing, homogenization, and coating in photomask substrate manufacturing. It can specifically tackle core technical challenges such as ultra-flat substrate preparation, precision polishing, and sub-micron level defect control, breaking the high degree of monopoly held by overseas companies in this field. Currently in its initial development phase, the company leverages the core team's technological and industrial experience to precisely target the domestic substitution of photomask substrates, aligning with the urgent needs of downstream photomask manufacturers for upstream core raw materials. It already possesses a clear direction for technological breakthroughs and a foundation for mass production preparation.
Huahai Qingke plans to raise 4 billion yuan to increase investment in integrated circuit equipment R&D and manufacturing.
Huahai Qingke has announced plans to raise up to 4 billion yuan through the issuance of A-shares to specific targets, aiming to bolster its position in the integrated circuit equipment sector. The funds will be primarily allocated to three key initiatives: the Shanghai Integrated Circuit Equipment R&D and Manufacturing Base Project, the Wafer Regeneration Expansion Project, and a High-end Semiconductor Equipment R&D Project. This strategic financial move reflects the company’s commitment to deepening its integration into the Yangtze River Delta’s industrial cluster while responding to robust national policy support and surging downstream market demand.
This expansion is driven by favorable macroeconomic conditions and strong industry growth prospects. Benefiting from sustained government policies that prioritize the semiconductor industry as a fundamental pillar of national development, Huahai Qingke is well-positioned for innovation and market expansion. Concurrently, global semiconductor equipment sales are projected to reach record highs, fueled by emerging demands in artificial intelligence, advanced packaging, and memory technologies. China continues to serve as the world’s largest semiconductor equipment market, with significant year-on-year increases in domestic investment, further validating the timing and scale of Huahai Qingke’s capital raise.
The raised capital will be strategically deployed to enhance the company’s overall competitiveness across three dimensions. First, it will accelerate R&D efforts to develop advanced front-end process equipment and key components, thereby solidifying technological advantages. Second, the company aims to diversify its product portfolio under an "equipment + services" strategy to create new profit growth points amidst complex global trade dynamics. Finally, establishing manufacturing bases in Shanghai and Kunshan will optimize geographical positioning, allowing Huahai Qingke to increase high-end production capacity and improve service responsiveness for key customers in the region.
YOFC Advanced Technology and Daoda Intelligent Technology Join Forces to Unlock New Applications of SiC Chips
Yangtze Optical Fibre and Cable (YOFC) Advanced Semiconductor Co., Ltd. and Jiangsu Daoda Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. have officially signed an agreement for the "Application of Silicon Carbide Chips in AMHS Overhead Crane Project" at their Wuhan base. This collaboration marks a significant milestone, moving the application of silicon carbide (SiC) chips in Automated Material Handling System (AMHS) overhead cranes from conceptual planning to substantial implementation. The partnership aims to inject new momentum into the upgrading of intelligent manufacturing equipment by leveraging the core strengths of both companies to drive technological advancements in this specialized sector.
YOFC, a leading player in China’s SiC power semiconductor industry, brings a comprehensive full-chain capability ranging from epitaxial growth and wafer manufacturing to module packaging and testing. Equipped with advanced 6-inch production lines, YOFC provides high-performance SiC SBD and MOSFET products for critical industries such as new energy vehicles, photovoltaics, and power grids. A representative from YOFC emphasized that this signing is a strategic decision aligned with the trend of domestic semiconductor equipment localization, aiming to jointly promote high-quality development and technological upgrades in the AMHS field through the integration of their respective resource advantages.
Daoda Intelligent, also known as TOTA, is a high-tech enterprise specializing in integrated hardware and software solutions for smart factories within the semiconductor industry. Recognized as a "National Specialized and Innovative Small Giant Enterprise," Daoda has successfully deployed its Kirin series OHT (Overhead Hoist Transport) cranes in YOFC’s facilities, benefiting from YOFC’s support in site access and verification scenarios. As a technology-driven company, Daoda is actively pursuing the domestic substitution of core components in AMHS systems. This deep cooperation allows them to conduct rigorous on-site extreme verification tests, thereby accelerating the replacement of foreign chips with domestic alternatives and strengthening supply chain security.
The technical rationale behind this partnership lies in the unique demands of OHT systems, which serve as the "intelligent transportation network" for modern wafer fabs. These systems require exceptional motor drive performance and precise power control due to their complex operating environments. SiC devices are ideally suited for this application owing to their inherent characteristics of high voltage withstand capability, high frequency, high efficiency, and low loss. By integrating SiC chips into OHT systems, the collaboration promises to enhance energy efficiency and operational stability, providing a clear path for reducing costs and increasing competitiveness in the semiconductor and high-end manufacturing industries.
Jiaocheng Ultrasonic launched its new advanced packaged ultrasonic testing equipment at SEMICON 2026, overcoming the pain points of D2W testing.
Recently, JUANGCENG Ultrasonic officially launched its new ultrasonic testing equipment, Wafer400-F2, for the 2.5D advanced packaging field at the SEMICON China 2026 New Technology Release Conference.
With its innovative design, including a fully automated flip-over architecture, this product has overcome several industry pain points in D2W (Die to Wafer) bonding defect detection. It can accurately identify various defects such as bubbles/voids, poor bonding/misalignment, edge peeling, cracks, foreign matter/contaminants, etc., providing a new domestic non-destructive testing solution for advanced packaging mass production.
With the explosive growth in demand for high-performance computing such as AI chips and HBM high-bandwidth storage, 2.5D/3D advanced packaging has become a core track in the semiconductor industry. JUANGCENG Ultrasonic 's Wafer400-F2 offers a groundbreaking solution that automatically flips the 2.5D bonded wafer under test to the back side of the wafer with a high-precision wafer flipping mechanism , enabling non-contact back-side ultrasonic scanning. This technology completely avoids the risk of water contact with the die surface, while utilizing JUANGCENG Ultrasonic's self-developed ultrasonic detection technology to penetrate the wafer and capture defects at the bonding interface.
Jiaocheng Ultrasonic has been deeply involved in the field of semiconductor ultrasonic testing for many years and has developed ultrasonic testing solutions covering all scenarios of advanced packaging:
Wafer400-F2 (New Product): Fully automatic model, designed specifically for 2.5D D2W bonding, compatible with ultrasonic testing of W2W bonding process, and has wafer flipping detection function.
Wafer400-A4 (mass production model): A fully automatic model designed for W2W (Wafer-to-Wafer) bonding processes, already shipped in batches.
Wafer400 (mass-produced model): Offline model, capable of detecting W2W and D2W.
Founded in 2007 and backed by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Jiaocheng Ultrasonic is the first listed company in the semiconductor ultrasonic equipment field. The company has always taken technological innovation as its foundation for development, and has achieved full-stack self-development of core components for ultrasonic testing equipment , such as high-frequency pulse generators , high-frequency ultrasonic probes, high-speed data acquisition cards, and intelligent image algorithms. It is one of the few leading companies in China with independent and controllable capabilities across the entire ultrasonic core technology chain, and has accumulated over 400 valid intellectual property rights.
In 2025, JUANCHUAN Ultrasonic successfully achieved mass production and delivery of its Wafer400-A and Wafer400 series wafer-level ultrasonic scanning microscopes, making JUANCHUAN Ultrasonic one of the few manufacturers globally with the capability to deliver online fully automated wafer ultrasonic inspection equipment.
Xinge Microelectronics: The WLP series direct-write lithography equipment has been adopted for mass production of CoWoS-L-like products by several leading manufacturers.
Xinge Microelectronics stated in response to investor inquiries on its interactive platform that its WLP series direct-write lithography equipment has been successfully adopted for mass production of CoWoS-L-like products by several leading manufacturers, and is expected to enter the mass production ramp-up phase in the second half of 2026. Furthermore, the company's equipment possesses technological advantages in key areas such as optoelectronic packaging and through-silicon vias, meeting the high-precision manufacturing needs of fields such as optical modules.
Pioneer Precision Technology: Plans to raise no more than 750 million yuan to invest in projects such as the research and development of ceramic electrostatic chucks.
The research and development project for ceramic electrostatic chucks for semiconductor equipment, primarily undertaken by Jiangsu Xianfeng Precision Technology Co., Ltd., has a total investment of RMB 59.1137 million, with RMB 52 million planned to be raised in this offering . The project will focus on key technological challenges such as precision sintering of high-performance dielectric layer ceramic materials, patterned fabrication of micro/nano electrodes, highly reliable connection of heterogeneous materials, and precise temperature control in multiple zones. It will conduct full-chain technology research and development, achieving precision sintering processes with ceramic substrate porosity below 0.01% (4N and above) , high-precision patterned design to uniformly distribute the electric field, and simultaneously achieving highly reliable, low thermal resistance connections between heterogeneous material layers such as the ceramic dielectric layer, electrode layer, and substrate layer under harsh thermal cycling. The project will also develop zoned temperature control technology exceeding 100 temperature zones.
Electrostatic chucks (ESCs), as core components in semiconductor etching and thin film deposition equipment for fixing, temperature control, and conducting radio frequency signals, directly determine the precision and stability of advanced process technologies. They represent a critical bottleneck in my country's semiconductor equipment industry chain that urgently needs to be overcome. Currently, global semiconductor manufacturing is rapidly evolving towards 7nm and more advanced processes, placing almost stringent demands on the precision, reliability, and plasma corrosion resistance of ESCs.
Jiangsu Xianfeng Precision Technology Co., Ltd. was established on March 20, 2008, and is registered in Jingjiang Economic Development Zone, Jiangsu Province. It is mainly engaged in the manufacturing of special equipment for semiconductor devices, processing of mechanical parts and import and export of technology. Its core products are key components of etching equipment and thin film deposition equipment, covering process technology of 7nm and below.
Huawei/Ascend team here on the support for DeepSeek V4 on their platform. Looks like there was a lot of integration here. And more importantly, it's expected that when Atlas-950 cluster comes out later this year, V4 cost will come significantly from more compute resources.
leica switches from sony camera sensors to chinese Gpixel
Leica Partners With Gpixel to Make Its Next-Generation Image Sensor
While AMS OSRAM still exists, Leica opted instead to team up with Gpixel, a Chinese image sensor company with offices globally, including in Europe, Japan, and the Americas. Gpixel makes a wide range of image sensors, including off-the-shelf, semi-customized, and fully-customized chips for medical, scientific, industrial, and professional imaging applications. The company has a pretty impressive catalog of sensors, including high-resolution BSI sensors, stacked sensors, and even full-frame global-shutter chips.
The first Versatile-GN200 compound wafer thinning machine from Huahai Qingke was shipped.
On April 23, the first Versatile-GN200 compound semiconductor wafer thinning equipment, independently developed by Huahai Qingke Co., Ltd., was officially rolled out, marking a significant step forward for the company in the field of ultra-precision processing of compound semiconductors. This machine is primarily designed for silicon carbide (SiC) wafer thinning processes, aiming to meet the increasingly stringent demands for ultra-precision wafer thinning in the power semiconductor device field, and providing downstream customers with more competitive high-end equipment and process solutions.
Addressing the processing challenges posed by the high hardness and brittleness of SiC and other compound materials, the Versatile-GN200 features a systematic architectural innovation. The equipment employs an innovative spindle structure layout and a unique grinding line design, constructing a highly rigid machine architecture that significantly improves overall rigidity and operational stability. This effectively suppresses process defects such as microcracks, edge chipping, and yield losses that are prone to occur during thinning, achieving precise control over wafer thickness deviations and surface micro-defects, with wafer thickness uniformity reaching industry-leading levels.
The Versatile-GN200 boasts broad material adaptability, meeting the thinning requirements of various mainstream and emerging compound wafers such as SiC, LiTaO₃, and LiNbO₃, covering 4/6/8-inch wafer thinning. The machine integrates high-precision positioning, precision thinning, and double-sided cleaning and drying modules, enabling fully automated operation. Equipped with real-time display and continuous monitoring of key process parameters, it dynamically tracks the changing trends of various machine variables, supporting in-depth analysis and feedback of client process data. This provides reliable data support for continuous optimization of machine performance and steady improvement of product yield.
The successful rollout of the Versatile-GN200 further enriches Huahai Qingke's product portfolio in the field of wafer thinning equipment and extends its application scope into the compound semiconductor field. Currently, driven by the rapid penetration of the new energy vehicle industry and high-efficiency power electronics applications, the demand for SiC wafers remains strong. Optimizing wafer thickness, as a key process step in reducing device on-resistance and improving reliability, directly drives the robust demand for high-performance SiC wafer thinning equipment. Huahai Qingke's timely launch of the Versatile-GN200 precisely responds to this market trend, providing crucial equipment support for the industry's expansion.