China’s semiconductor industry is making strides in advancing its domestic lithography tools, as evidenced by recent specifications released by the central government. While progress is being made, analysts believe China still has a long way to go to catch up to industry leader ASML.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has published a list of new tools aimed at promoting their use by domestic chip makers. Of particular interest are two lithography scanners, one with a krypton-fluoride light source and the other with an argon fluoride light source, both with impressive capabilities.
The specifications reveal production resolutions of 110nm and 65nm on 12-inch wafers, showcasing the progress being made in China’s semiconductor industry. However, details on wafer production capacity and feature alignment capabilities were not disclosed in the MIIT document.
As China continues to advance its semiconductor technology, it faces challenges such as export restrictions and alignment standards set by Washington. Despite these obstacles, the country is making notable progress in developing its domestic semiconductor capabilities.