Well, it seems like China's chipmaking capabilities are advancing rapidly, as a domestic firm has managed to develop the first e-beam lithography tool for commercial use.
China's Latest Lithography Machine Uses Electron Beams to Carve Out Wafers, But Takes Hours on a Single Output
Regarding lithography equipment, China is way behind the West since it doesn't have access to ASML's cutting-edge equipment, which is the ultimate barrier for the nation to develop high-end chips. However, several efforts have been made by Chinese firms to introduce EUV equipment in the market, and while that would take time, it is reported (via SCMP) that researchers at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou have developed the first lithography tool that uses electron beams.
The machine is reportedly called Xizhi, and while it is far from meeting the standards of ASML's High-NA equipment, it does share some similarities. E-beam lithography tools (EBL) are currently under US export controls, and China's breakthrough certainly means a massive boost for the domestic chip industry; however, there are some constraints to note. While the equipment has a precision figure of 0.6nm, closer to ASML's High-NA EUV, it significantly lags in throughput due to point-by-point writing, which can take hours to carve out a wafer.
China still relies on DUV machines for most of its mainstream chips, and the Chinese EBL machine could help bridge the R&D gap with Western counterparts. It could allow the nation to build prototypes of cutting-edge chips, but when it comes to mass production, this method certainly isn't sustainable. There's no doubt that China is years behind the US when it comes to chipmaking capabilities, but the gap is eventually closing in. It would be interesting to see how EBL contributes to China's chip ambitions.
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