The lithography machine is limited, and the SMIC wafer factory is delayed, why not use the domestic lithography machine?
Some time ago, SMIC said that its new factory in Beijing failed to meet its expected goals due to difficulties in obtaining advanced wafer manufacturing equipment.
While SMIC did not specify the type of equipment, it is speculated that the restricted equipment comes from ASML's DUV immersion lithography machine.
Since SMIC was added to the Entity List in December 2020, companies are not allowed to provide equipment and parts to companies on the Entity List without permission from the U.S. Department of Commerce.
And this list includes ASML in the Netherlands, which is the world's leading manufacturer of lithography machines and the only manufacturer of EUV lithography machines.
So the question is: since you can't buy ASML's lithography machine, why not use Shanghai Microelectronics' domestic lithography machine?
How strong is ASML's lithography machine?
ASML, whose Chinese name is Esmore, was founded in 1984 and headquartered in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, and is the world's largest semiconductor equipment manufacturer and the world's only EUV lithography machine manufacturer.
*No. 1 in the world.
In 2021, a total of 478 lithography machines were produced worldwide, an increase of 65 or 15% from 2020. Of these, ASML produced 309 units, accounting for 65%.
In the mid-to-high-end market (DUV lithography machine), 103 units were shipped, accounting for 93% of the market share6%, 42 high-end EUV lithography machines were shipped, all of which were manufactured by ASML.
According to **, by 2022, global lithography machine shipments will reach 510 units, and ASML will continue to lead the way. ASML alone will continue to deliver more than 50 EUV lithography machines.
As can be seen from the number of deliveries, ASML is the real leader in the field of lithography machines, leaving Japan's Nikon and Canon far behind.
No. 1 in the world in terms of sales.
In 2021, the global lithography machine market share was 107.6 billion, and ASML alone reached 85.4 billion, accounting for 79%.
On January 25, 2023, ASML announced its 2022 results, with full-year revenue of 156.2 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 138%。Net profit totaled RMB41.2 billion, a record high.
While global lithography machine sales for 2022 have not yet been announced, ASML's share of sales is expected to continue to increase.
Technology is stronger. When it comes to technology, ASML is also a leader.
Among all semiconductor equipment, the EUV lithography machine has the highest technical content, and its manufacturer is only ASML, which reflects the strength of ASML in terms of technology.
One might say that ASML is just a large assembly plant with only 10% technology. However, this 10% technical content should not be underestimated.
ASML's EUV lithography technology is mainly extreme ultraviolet (EUV) technology.
EUV lithography light source uses 135nm extreme ultraviolet light, this kind of light is not found in nature, and can only be artificially manufactured.
The first step is to prepare a 30kw high-power laser emitter that can emit high-frequency lasers with frequencies up to 50,000hz.
Next, prepare a device with a special nozzle that can reduce the diameter of the molten tin droplet to about 20 microns, which is equivalent to:"One-third of the diameter of a human hair"。
The final process is to ensure that the first laser precisely hits the falling tin droplets, and the second laser hits the tin droplets again, excites extremely strong ultraviolet light.
The most difficult part of this process is the continuous high precision and accuracy.
The light source equipment was originally manufactured by the American company Cymer, and was later acquired by ASML, which became a monopoly on extreme ultraviolet light source technology.
The largest industrial chain.
ASML's industrial chain is also extremely large, with as many as 100,000 extreme ultraviolet lithography parts, and nearly 2,000 first-class suppliers alone, including industry giants such as Zeiss and Tokyo Chemical. Even many companies are proud to enter the ASML chain.
Downstream application companies include TSMC, Samsung, Intel, UMC, GECHIP, SMIC and many other chip manufacturing giants.
Apple Bionic, Qualcomm Snapdragon, Huawei Kirin, MediaTek Tianyu, etc., which power our mobile phones, are inseparable from ASML's lithography machines.
When it comes to assembly, ASML also has a big advantage.
An EUV lithography machine has 100,000 parts, 40,000 screws, 2 kilometers of hoses, 3,000 cables, and tons of lenses. These parts are so tightly connected that a problem with any one of them can cause the entire machine to get out of control.
During installation, 10-20 Hz vibrations are generated when the train passes, which can cause the equipment to malfunction.
That's why a strong assembly team is needed. ASML's assembly team consists of tens of thousands of people, with more than 1,300 in China alone. These assemblers are not only highly qualified, but also undergo extensive training every year.
ASML is currently starting construction of a new generation lithography system, the Highnaeuv lithography system.
The numerical lens aperture of this lithography system will reach 055Na with higher resolution and higher productivity. It is said that in the future, it will have a production rate of 220 wafers per hour. At that point, ASML will be even more powerful.
In the field of lithography machines, ASML is so powerful that it arrogantly states:"Even if the design is made public, China will not be able to build a lithography machine"。
Now, under pressure from the United States, ASML not only refuses to provide EUV lithography machines to mainland companies, but even DUV lithography machines have begun to be restricted.
SMIC, a leading chip foundry in the mainland, admits that its Beijing fab could not be put into operation due to equipment problems. So, why doesn't SMIC use domestic lithography machines?
What is the level of domestic lithography machines?
The leading enterprise of domestic lithography machine is Shanghai Microelectronic Equipment Company (SMEC), which was established in March 2002 under the leadership of Shanghai ** and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and is now able to mass produce 90 nanometer lithography machines.
So, what's the difference between Shanghai Microelectronics and ASML?
Technical differences. The 90-nanometer lithography machine produced by Shanghai Microelectronics can produce 90-nanometer chips, and the repetitive lithography machine can theoretically produce 45-nanometer chips, but the yield rate will drop significantly. The EUV lithography machine produced by ASML can produce 3nm chips.
45-nanometer chips are 5 generations behind 3-nanometer chips and will take decades to catch up.
In terms of specific core technologies, ASML leads the advanced EUV technology and has a large number of patents, while Shanghai Microelectronics does not.
In addition, in terms of assembly technology, Shanghai Microelectronics can only be regarded as"Entry-level", and ASML definitely counts"Professional grade"This gap is not something that can be flattened in a short period of time.
Ecological gaps. Many people think that only software and operating systems have a so-called ecology, but in fact, hardware devices also have an ecology.
Chip manufacturing equipment is not limited to lithography, but also more than a dozen kinds of equipment such as coating, CVD, testing, cleaning, etc.
If they cannot be combined, the workload of the entire chip manufacturing process will increase several times.
ASML's lithography machines are widely used in the field of silicon wafer manufacturing and have long been compatible and matched with other equipment produced by leading manufacturers.
As well as semiconductor materials such as silicon wafers, masks, photoresists, CMP slurries, and high-purity liquids, ASML's lithography machines can also be compatible with them, and Shanghai Microelectronics still needs to work hard in these aspects.
* Gaps in the chain.
Domestic lithography machines also have congenital deficiencies in the first chain.
As early as 2009, Shanghai Microelectronics developed a 90-nanometer lithography machine and began to be accepted, but it was only announced in 2018, why?
Because, at that time, the equipment used German Zeiss lenses, and Zeiss was suddenly ordered to stop supplying to Shanghai Microelectronics.
Without Zeiss's **, the domestic lens could not meet the requirements, so it could only be postponed to the market. Many netizens believe that a small lens can jam the neck of a domestic lithography machine
Actually, don't underestimate this little lens, its numerical aperture is 093Na, with a resolution of 90 nanometers, the flatness requirements are extremely high, and the curl of tens of kilometers cannot exceed one millimeter.
In order to develop this lens assembly, Changchun Guoke Precision Optics took nearly 10 years to develop it successfully.
In 2018, this lens assembly was successfully installed on the lithography machine of Shanghai Microelectronics and tested to meet the relevant requirements.
In addition to lenses, there are about 100,000 parts such as light sources, workstations, and precision bearings that need to be solved by different suppliers.
According to reports, ASML has about 2,000 ** companies from Europe, the United States, Japan and South Korea, and Shanghai Microelectronics has been listed by the U.S. Department of Commerce"Entity List", only domestic components can be used, which significantly reduces its ** chain.
In addition, the stability of Shanghai Microelectronics' lithography machine is not as good as ASML, and stability is related to the yield rate of chips. No one wants their wafers to be ruined in the production process due to equipment problems.
In general, domestic lithography machines lag behind ASML in technology, ecology, chain, stability and other aspects, and it will take a long time to master EUV lithography technology and reach the level of ASML.
In addition, SMIC's Beijing fab produces 28nm process chips, which are currently only met by ASML in the Netherlands and Nikon in Japan.
This is also the main reason why domestic chip foundries such as SMIC are reluctant to choose domestic lithography machines.
How does SMIC solve the problem?
To solve the problem of wafer manufacturing, SMIC must integrate into the national lithography industry chain. If everyone does not use the lithography machine of Shanghai Microelectronics, how to test its level and find its shortcomings?
Shanghai Microelectronics' equipment can't be sold, it can't make money, and it can't get more money to develop high-quality lithography machines, let alone solve the equipment problem of domestic wafers.
That's why SMIC still has to prioritize domestic equipment in the 90nm wafer manufacturing space.
Overcome shortcomings and refuse to show off your skills.
Some time ago, it was rumored on the Internet that Shanghai Microelectronics has developed a 28-nanometer lithography machine, a 14-nanometer lithography machine, and even a 7-nanometer lithography machine is about to be mass-produced.
In fact, there is still a big gap in basic technologies such as light source systems, lenses, immersion, and dual workstations. To fully master these technologies, it will also take a lot of manpower, material resources, financial resources and time.
At the same time, we are far behind ASML in terms of stability, which forces us to strengthen our after-sales service and assembly technology.
Continuous research and development without distraction.
R&D work is the most avoid impetuousness and intermittentness. As soon as I saw that I could buy it, I wanted to give up R&D, thinking"It's better to buy than to build"。However, when you give up your martial arts, all kinds of repression will ensue.
There are no shortcuts to science and technology, and there is no so-called"Overtaking in corners"Only continuous investment and continuous research and development. Only continuous investment, continuous research and development, even for decades.
Political support, focusing on the realization of major projects.
How important is political support?Let's take Japan as an example.
Before the rapid development of Japanese semiconductors, they relied on the support and authorization of the United States. The original purpose of the support and authorization provided by the United States** was to support Japan against the Soviet Union.
Mitsubishi and Kyoto Electric were authorized by Fairchild, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) formulated relevant policies, and organizations such as NEC, Hitachi, Fujitsu, Toshiba, and Mitsubishi Electric were created"Research portfolio for large-scale integrated circuit technology"。
Since then, Japan's semiconductor industry has grown rapidly, even surpassing that of the United States.
In 1985, the United States launched the first Section 301 investigation into Japanese semiconductors, and in 1986, Japan was forced to sign the Japan-US Semiconductor Agreement.
Since then, Japan's semiconductor industry has declined rapidly, with its market share falling from a peak of 53% to 7%. Some time ago, the world's leading semiconductor design and manufacturing companies were nowhere to be seen in Japan.
We can see that the influence of politics on chips is indeed too great.
If we can introduce a sustained and correct industrial policy, the recovery of domestic wafers will be just around the corner.
The lithography technology is limited, and SMIC has invested heavily in building factories but cannot put them into production, which is caused by the backwardness of domestic lithography technology.
If we can face up to our own shortcomings, increase research and development efforts, and cooperate with corresponding policies, I believe that domestic lithography technology will be greatly improved.
At the same time, our integrated circuit enterprises should also support the use of domestic lithography machines, find problems and solve problems.