Calls for a 'Chinese ASML' are growing louder, but it is still a long way off

"ASML is actually primarily a system integrator, with around 5,000 suppliers and 100,000 components for a single device. The best-known companies in this field are German lens maker Carl Zeiss and fellow German company Trumpf, which specializes in building powerful lasers to etch chip designs onto silicon. This is just a small selection from a mountain of niches that need to master the equivalent of ASML's equipment."

"Zhao Jinrong of Naura Technology Group, Chen Nanxiang of Yangtze Memory Technologies Corp, and Liu Weiping of Empyrean Technology nevertheless argue that China must rise to the challenge. In the trade journal Science and Technology Review, they outline a blueprint for a Chinese version of ASML: a national integrator that centralizes budgets and personnel from different institutions."

"The Veldhoven-based chip machine manufacturer is not allowed to sell its EUV equipment in China. This has been the case for a decade. However, Chinese chip companies have used the older DU[plex technology]. Due to export restrictions however, only domestic development of EUV tools will allow further progress."

Chinese semiconductor executives propose that advanced lithography development should be central to the government's next five-year plan. ASML's export restrictions on EUV equipment to China necessitate domestic alternatives. While major progress within five years is realistic, creating a complete ASML equivalent will require longer. ASML functions as a system integrator coordinating approximately 5,000 suppliers and 100,000 components per device. Key suppliers include German companies Carl Zeiss for lenses and Trumpf for lasers. Chinese executives propose establishing a national integrator centralizing budgets and personnel across institutions. China has made progress on optical systems, wafer placement, and EUV light sources, though significant gaps remain in EDA software, silicon wafers, and specialized gases.

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