Repurchase all lithography machinesChinese companies have stated that foreign media have exposed the crisis that ASML cannot afford.
As an indispensable equipment in the wafer manufacturing process, the lithography machine is known as:"The jewel in the crown of industry"With more than half of the global market share, ASML occupies the top spot in the field of lithography machines, especially in the advanced EUV lithography machine wafer manufacturing, ASML is the only manufacturer in the world that can complete the assembly and production of manufacturers. As a near-monopoly manufacturer in the lithography machine market, ASML should not be under pressure"Lie down to win"However, under the actions of the United States, it has become a technological competition between China and the United States"Cannon fodder"！
As the world's largest semiconductor consumer market, the Chinese mainland market brings together many semiconductor industry giants such as lithography machine giant ASML, chip foundry giant TSMC, Samsung, and nuclear power companies such as Qualcomm in the United States. In particular, ASML, entering the Chinese mainland market for more than 20 years, the company's lithography machine shipments have exceeded 700 units, in order to better serve customers, it has set up offices in Chinese mainland, maintenance centers, and even employed more than 1,500 Chinese workers, it can be said that ASML has done a remarkable job in continuing to penetrate the Chinese market.
However, people have to bow their heads under the roof, because ASML's production line uses a lot of American technology and equipment, and it can only fulfill the will of the United States, and cannot send EUV lithography machines to Chinese companies. In addition, in the compromise of the tripartite agreement with the Netherlands, ASML's advanced DUV lithography machine cannot be issued to Chinese companies, and ASML has to announce that it will comply with the rules of the Netherlands, Europe and the United States next, which means that the lithography machines that Chinese companies have already obtained will also lose ASML's follow-up service guarantee.
The United States and its allies continue to increase restrictions and suppression of Chinese companies in the field of semiconductors, and China has become unbearable, announcing the implementation of export controls on gallium and germanium, important raw materials for semiconductors. And the United States does not take its allies seriously at all, it limits the responsibility of the lithography machine to the Netherlands and ASML, and it is clear that the United States treats the Netherlands and ASML as one"Cannon fodder"。
What is even more unexpected for ASML is that after ASML announced that it would comply with the restrictions of the Netherlands, Europe and the United States, Chinese companies also officially stated, and the president of YMTC said on this matter: in line with the principle of fairness and good faith, if the purchased equipment cannot be delivered or used, you can set a time to buy back!In this regard, some foreign media said: ASML cannot withstand this situation.
Speaking of which, ASML has been deeply involved in the Chinese mainland market for more than ten years and has more than 700 lithography machines. The remarks of Chen Nanxiang, President of YMTC are certainly a challenge for ASML, but it is also a helpless move, because ASML simply cannot withstand this step of development.
On the one hand, all the lithography machines sent to Chinese mainland are repurchased, which requires a lot of funds and resources, which is a huge challenge for ASML;On the other hand, due to the forced buyback, this means that ASML is completely excluded from the Chinese mainland market, which is not conducive to the development of ASML at all, and once marginalized by the Chinese mainland market, it will be difficult for ASML to find the next such a large market in Chinese mainland.
In addition, the president of the American giant ASML has said more than once that China is an indispensable part of the global semiconductor industry chain, and if the Chinese market is lost, the so-called international company cannot be regarded as a global international company. It should be said that ASML's success is based on the globalization of the semiconductor industry. Therefore, in any case, ASML is not ready to buy back lithography machines from the mainland market, because it cannot afford them.
However, our country has always been peace-loving and broad-minded, and will not do anything that hurts both sides. Although the proposal of the chairman of YMTC is very good, it can reduce our losses to a certain extent, and ASML has also broken the lithography machine, so we can take a breath. However, once the lithography machine is bought, our entire semiconductor industry will come to a standstill, and domestic substitution will not be possible in a short period of time.
Therefore, for the United States and other Western countries continue to increase restrictions, China's control of rare earth, gallium, germanium exports is the best countermeasure, but also directly aimed at some countries to prevent the development of China's semiconductor industry"Seven inches"Above. As Wei Jianguo, former vice minister of China's Ministry of Commerce, said, our countermeasures are well thought out, not only at the panic of certain countries, but also at the suffering of certain countries.