China Develops DUV Lithography Machine, But Trails ASML’s Advanced Semiconductor Technology

China has reportedly developed its deep ultraviolet (DUV) scanner to advance its semiconductor industry amid sanctions restricting ASML's technology exports. While this development marks progress, China's DUV machine remains less advanced than ASML’s cutting-edge offerings in resolution and overlay capabilities.

China Develops Domestic DUV Scanner to Reduce Dependence on Western Semiconductor Technology

In response to the Dutch government's recent sanctions, China has reportedly devised its own DUV scanner. According to Wccftech, these sanctions necessitate that ASML obtain licenses before selling older deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography equipment. This data is obtained from a document published on the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology website.

ASML is the sole global manufacturer of the most sophisticated equipment, which has exacerbated China's efforts to develop domestic chip manufacturing machines. A locally developed DUV scanner could significantly advance China's semiconductor industry by decreasing its dependence on Western technology. This is particularly important when artificial intelligence software necessitates state-of-the-art semiconductors for optimal performance.

The document emphasizes three critical attributes of China's DUV lithography machine: overlay, wavelength, and resolution. The scanner functions as an Argon Fluoride (ArF) machine, a technology that has been a fundamental component of the global semiconductor industry for approximately two decades. It can print circuits with a resolution of 65 nanometers and utilizes a 193-nanometer wavelength of light. ASML's ArF machinery made this level of resolution accessible as early as 2009.

China’s New DUV Scanner Marks Progress, But Lags Behind ASML's Advanced Semiconductor Technology

In contrast, the TWINSCAN XT:1460K, ASML's closest equivalent to China's scanner, can produce semiconductors with a resolution below 65 nanometers and employs a 193-nanometer ArF light source. Nevertheless, the Dutch machine is significantly more advanced, offering an overlay capability of less than 2.5 nanometers, which is considerably superior to the 8-nanometer overlay proposed by the Chinese ministry.

The technical parameters associated with light manipulation significantly influence the efficiency of semiconductor fabrication machines. This procedure entails the imprinting of complex circuits onto silicon wafers using light. The most minor feature that a machine can produce is its resolution, which is influenced by mask size, depth of focus, and numerical aperture. In general, a higher numerical aperture results in improved resolution, which enables the use of reduced chip sizes. Another critical metric is overlay, which denotes a machine's capacity to map new circuit patterns onto existing ones. Circuits are packed more densely when overlay numbers are lower.

In 2005, ASML introduced its TWINSCAN chip machines, which have since become the industry standard. The company has advanced to immersion lithography and the more advanced extreme ultraviolet (EUV) instruments. The TWINSCAN XT:1460 model, which served as a precursor to the XT:1460K, was disclosed in ASML's 2015 annual report. It maintained the identical 193-nanometer wavelength and 65-nanometer resolution. ASML's 1450 scanner, which boasted a 57-nanometer resolution, was previously identified as the most advanced non-immersion lithography instrument in its 2009 reports.

As the global semiconductor competition intensifies, China's entry into DUV lithography is a significant milestone; however, the technology needs to catch up to ASML's more advanced offerings.