Due to well-known reasons, the supply of lithography machines in the Netherlands and Japan to China is limited, and other chip equipment and materials are also subject to great restrictions, which prompts the domestic chip industry chain to actively improve to achieve purely domestic chip technology. Machines are still slightly behind, but there is a domestic chip device that has made rapid progress, reaching 3 nanometers.
This equipment is an etching machine. AMEC is the top player in the domestic chip industry chain. It has basically kept pace with the development of global chip technology. It has mass-produced 5nm etching machines last year. Recent news indicates that it has Successfully developed a 3nm etching machine, catching up with the world's advanced level again.
Zhongwei can reach the world's advanced level in etching machines because the founder, Dr. Yin Zhiyao, has advanced technology and extensive contacts. He has worked in companies such as Intel, Fanlin, and Applied Materials, and has accumulated rich experience and technology. He chose to return to China many years ago, determined to contribute to the domestic chip industry chain and catch up with the world's advanced level. For this reason, he brought back a team to lay the foundation for the development of domestic etching machines.
In recent years, China Microelectronics has been in the global leading position in the research and development of etching machines. The 5-nanometer etching machine developed last year was recognized by TSMC, the most advanced chip foundry. Recently, it is said that after it developed a 3-nanometer etching machine, it also It has been recognized by TSMC, which highlights that China Microelectronics has indeed reached an advanced level in terms of technology.
The etching machines of China Microelectronics have reached the leading level in the world, and thus quickly seized the domestic market. It is said that 90% of domestic etching machines are supplied by China Microelectronics. In many chip equipment, materials and other links, the etching machines can be said to be domestically produced. It is the equipment with the highest percentage of industrialization. Today, China's etching machines not only dominate the domestic market, but also begin to enter the overseas market. One of its customers is TSMC.
TSMC is willing to adopt the etching machine of China Microelectronics. On the one hand, it is to promote mutual checks and balances among etching machine companies. On the other hand, Chinese etching machines have an advantage in cost. This has always been an important advantage of Chinese manufacturing. Nowadays, with the high cost of chip manufacturing and the continuous price reduction of American chips, TSMC of course gives priority to Chinese etching machines with leading technology and lower cost.
Etching machines are an important part of chip manufacturing. According to analysis, etching machines account for up to 20% of all equipment and materials in chip manufacturing, second only to photolithography machines. It can be seen that etching machines are important in the chip manufacturing industry. Domestic etching machines have made breakthroughs in important links of the chip industry chain, which has stimulated the accelerated development of the domestic chip industry chain.
It is understood that NTU Optoelectronics has successfully developed 5nm photoresist. In addition, other chip materials are also accelerating breakthroughs. These breakthrough chip devices and materials are rapidly replacing imported devices and materials. , Fanlin Group, etc. have suffered huge losses. It is estimated that the three major US material companies have suffered a loss of 5 billion US dollars in the Chinese market last year.
The progress of domestic chip equipment and materials has laid the foundation for the development of domestic chip manufacturing to promote the development of advanced technology. As the technology of domestic chip equipment and materials gradually stabilizes, perhaps the purely domestic 7nm process will be able to achieve mass production with domestic chip equipment and materials in the near future.
The progress of domestic chip equipment and materials has made the United States, Japan and the Netherlands nervous. The results announced by ASML in the second quarter of this year show that it has greatly increased the supply of lithography machines to China. In the second quarter, the supply of lithography machines to China was as high as 27 units. The number of 8 units in the quarter has more than doubled. Obviously, the progress of domestic chip equipment makes them worry that they may lose the Chinese market completely, and seize the time window to seize the market.