China is reportedly making homegrown immersion DUV lithography machines, giving ASML and Washington something fresh to chew on.
A state-backed Shanghai outfit has begun mass-producing immersion deep ultraviolet lithography machines, according to Tom’s Hardware.
The first units are expected this year for SMIC, Hua Hong Semiconductor and memory maker ChangXin Memory Technologies, or CXMT.
The plan is modest for now, with roughly five machines due in 2026 and about 20 more pencilled in for 2027.
The manufacturer is unnamed, but sources said the operation pulled DUV teams from several Chinese companies. One of those was state-backed start-up Shanghai Yuliangsheng Technology, whose immersion tool SMIC has reportedly been testing since September 2025.
Most components in the new systems are domestic, though some critical parts still come from Japan, which rather dents the glorious self-sufficiency bunting.
Delays at local suppliers have held output this year, because even strategic chipmaking breakthroughs still have to deal with parts turning up late.
US House Resolution 8170 targets SMIC, Hua Hong, CXMT, Huawei and YMTC as restricted entities in law. Three of those five are now named as the first customers for China’s domestic scanner, which is either awkward timing or fairly pointed planning.
The MATCH Act, introduced in April, would cover servicing and technical assistance, not just fresh exports of lithography kit.
That matters because Chinese fabs have spent two years squeezing more life from installed ASML systems through secondary-channel upgrades.
ASML expects to ship about 130 immersion systems in 2026, matching 2025, while chief financial officer Roger Dassen said the Dutch outfit aims “to increase capacity by 30 per cent in 2027”.
Immersion DUV can print 28nm-class features in a single exposure and reach 7nm through multipatterning, although overlay errors and yield take a kicking.
For Beijing, the point is not beating EUV tomorrow, but making sure sanctions do not leave its fabs standing around admiring empty cleanrooms.
