After the official announcement of the Netherlands, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation urgently accelerated. Foreign media: the dust has settled

Tech 2023-07-23 08:31:37 Source: Network

Before reading this article, please click on the "Follow" button in the upper right corner, which not only facilitates your discussion and sharing, but also brings you a different sense of participation. Thank you for your support!The Semiconductor industry is one of the most dynamic and promising industries in the world, and chips are the core component of the Semiconductor industry

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The Semiconductor industry is one of the most dynamic and promising industries in the world, and chips are the core component of the Semiconductor industry. The production and use of chips involve various fields, such as communication, computing, artificial intelligence, automobiles, healthcare, etc., which are crucial for the country's economic development and national defense security. However, the manufacturing process of chips is very complex and precise, which requires high-end equipment and technical support. The most critical equipment is the Stepper.

Stepper is a device used to depict circuit patterns on the wafer, and its performance determines the processing level and integration of the chip. At present, only ASML of the Netherlands can produce the most advanced EUV (extreme ultraviolet) Stepper for advanced chip manufacturing processes of 7nm and below. In addition to ASML, Tokyo Electron (TEL) and Nikon (Nikon) in Japan can produce DUV (deep ultraviolet) Stepper for mature chip manufacturing processes of 14 nm and above.

As the world's largest consumer and importer of chips, China's demand for high-end chips far exceeds its supply. In order to achieve independent and controllable development of the chip industry, the Chinese government and enterprises are continuously investing funds and manpower in technology research and development and production construction. Among them, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, as the largest integrated circuit manufacturer in China, has achieved mass production in the 14nm process and is marching towards the 7nm process. However, in this process, China also faces restrictions and sanctions from Western countries such as the United States. The United States not only bans the export of advanced chips to China, but also prevents its allies from selling advanced Stepper machines to China. Recently, the Netherlands officially announced that it will restrict the shipment of high-end DUV Stepper machines to China from September 1, which has brought new challenges to China's chip industry.

This paper will discuss the challenges and opportunities faced by China's chip industry by analyzing the statements of ASML and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation and the development of China's chip industry after the Netherlands restricted the export of Stepper to China.

Netherlands restricts the export of Stepper to China

The Netherlands is the only country in the world that can produce EUV Stepper. It has ASML, a Stepper giant that occupies more than 80% of the global market share. ASML is not only one of the world's largest semiconductor equipment suppliers, but also one of China's most important semiconductor equipment partners. According to data released by ASML, 25% of its revenue in 2020 came from the Chinese market, with order amounts exceeding 60 billion yuan. Among them, ASML has sold several DUV Stepper to China for the production of mature chips of 14nm and above. ASML also plans to ship EUV Stepper to China in 2023 to produce advanced chips of 7nm and below.

However, ASML's plan has faced strong opposition from the United States. The United States believes that the sale of advanced lithography opportunities to China threatens the national security and technological advantages of the United States, so it has been pressing the Dutch government not to approve ASML to export EUV Stepper to China. The United States also joined forces with Japan and the Netherlands to reach an agreement on semiconductor issues in Washington on January 27, 2022. Japan and the Netherlands will implement some of the controls on semiconductor equipment exports to China that the US government has requested and initiated. Among them, the most striking thing is that the Dutch Stepper giant Esmore may have agreed not to sell the Stepper DUV manufacturing mature process chips to China, which is expected to slow down the pace of China's independent chip manufacturing. This also indicates that the scope and category of chip manufacturing equipment that is currently prohibited from being shipped to China will be expanded, from high-order chip equipment to mature mid to low order chip equipment.

The Dutch government officially announced this decision on June 30. From September 1, it will restrict the shipment of high-end DUV Stepper to China, and can only conduct transactions with the government's permission. This means that ASML will not be able to deliver the scheduled DUV Stepper to Chinese customers such as Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation on time, and these devices are crucial to the development of China's chip industry.

Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation's independent research and development and production expansion

Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation has made a major breakthrough in the 14nm process. It uses FinFET (three-dimensional transistor) technology, which can improve the performance and efficiency of the chip, and reduce power consumption and cost. Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation began mass production of 14 nanometer FinFET chips in 2020, and achieved mass production of 14 nanometer FinFETPlus chips in 2021. These chips are mainly used in fields such as mobile communication, the Internet of Things, and artificial intelligence. Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation also plans to achieve mass production of 14nm FinFETPro chips in 2022 to meet the needs of higher performance and lower power consumption.

Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation has not only made progress in the 14nm process, but also actively promoted the research, development and production of the 7nm process. The 7-nanometer process is currently one of the most advanced processes in the world, which can significantly improve the performance and integration of chips, reduce power consumption and costs. Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation announced the launch of the research and development of the 7nm process in 2020, and completed the first batch of trial production of 7nm FinFET chips in 2021. Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation also plans to achieve mass production of 7-nanometer FinFETPlus chips in 2022 and 7-nanometer FinFETPro chips in 2023. These chips will be used in high-end mobile communications, High-performance computing, cloud computing, artificial intelligence and other fields.

Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation is not only expanding in production scale, but also innovating in technology research and development. Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation has a strong R&D team and laboratory, and cooperates with many well-known semiconductor enterprises and institutions around the world to jointly develop new technologies and processes. Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation also actively participates in national and local science and technology projects and policy support to obtain more technical resources and financial support. Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation also pays attention to talent cultivation and introduction, and has established cooperative relations with many universities and research institutions to cultivate more professionals for the semiconductor industry.

Although significant achievements have been made in the development of China's chip industry, it also faces many challenges. The biggest challenge is restrictions and sanctions from Western countries such as the United States. The United States and other western countries not only prohibit the export of advanced chips, Stepper and other key equipment to China, but also try to break the cooperative relationship between China and other semiconductor enterprises and institutions around the world, preventing China from obtaining more technical resources and market opportunities. These restrictions and sanctions have caused great difficulties and pressure for the development of China's chip industry.

However, there are also opportunities amidst challenges. The Chinese government and enterprises have realized the importance of self control and self-reliance, increased investment and support for the Semiconductor industry, accelerated the pace of technology research and innovation, improved production capacity and quality, and expanded market demand and application fields. China is also actively cooperating with other developing countries to jointly promote the global development of the Semiconductor industry and contribute to the diversification and balance of the global Semiconductor industry.

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