China's semiconductor industry ushered in spring, Dutch lithography machines will be exported, and Japan panicked.
Semiconductor chips are the core of modern science and technology, and they are also the focus of international competition. The United States has been trying to restrict and suppress China's semiconductor development through various means, preventing China from acquiring advanced lithography machines, which are key equipment for manufacturing high-end chips.
However, the hegemony of the United States has not succeeded, and recently, the Netherlands ** issued an exciting news, announcing that a batch of lithography machines will be inspected and approved, and these lithography machines will be exported to China, injecting new vitality into China's semiconductor industry.
This news also surprised and disappointed Japan, because Japan had reached an agreement with the United States and the Netherlands to jointly restrict China's chip field, but now, the Netherlands has suddenly changed its position and started to cooperate with China.
Why did the Netherlands make such a decision?Why did Japan fall for the United States?What opportunities and challenges will China's semiconductor industry face?Let's take a look.
01 Dutch interests and rationality.
ASML is the world's largest producer of lithography machines in the Netherlands, whose lithography machine technology and processes are unmatched in the world and are mastered by only a few companies.
China is the world's largest demand for lithography machines, China's semiconductor industry is developing rapidly, and the demand for high-end chips is growing, but subject to US sanctions and restrictions, it is unable to obtain advanced lithography machines, so it can only choose old products.
China and the Netherlands have a strong need for cooperation and complementary advantages in the field of lithography machines, but the United States has been interfering and obstructing, using its capital in ASML and its influence in the European Union to exert pressure on the Netherlands, requiring it not to give China's lithography machines, especially the most advanced EUV lithography machines.
At the beginning, the Netherlands did not completely obey the will of the United States, but maintained a friendly and open attitude towards China in accordance with its own national interests and international rules, expressed its willingness to continue to cooperate with China, and did not want to damage the relations between China and the Netherlands because of the lithography machine.
He pointed out that China is an important export market for the Netherlands and other EU countries, and maintaining good relations with China is of great significance to the economic development of the Netherlands and Europe.
In March this year, the Chinese ambassador to the Netherlands Tan Jian was interviewed by the Netherlands, and expressed his views and suggestions on the Sino-Dutch issue, and he made it clear that if the Netherlands does not lift the export ban on lithography machines, it will damage the bilateral interests of China and the Netherlands, and will also affect the market position of ASML.
He also called on the Netherlands to abide by international rules, oppose the hegemonic policy of the United States, safeguard the common interests of Chinese and Dutch enterprises and both sides, and ensure the stability of the global semiconductor industry chain.
After in-depth communication and consultation, the Netherlands finally made a rational decision to agree with ASML to China's lithography machines, and issued a statement saying that the first batch of lithography machines are ready and are undergoing the approval and inspection procedures.
This decision marks the official ice-breaking of Sino-Dutch relations, and also opens a new chapter for China's semiconductor industry.
02 Japan's miscalculations and dilemmas.
Japan is the world's largest producer of semiconductor materials, and companies such as Nikon and Canon are also important manufacturers of lithography machines.
China is the world's largest demander for semiconductor materials, and China's semiconductor companies need a large number of raw materials and equipment to support the production and research and development of chips, and Japan's products are one of its most important.
China and Japan also have close cooperation and exchanges in the field of semiconductors, but the United States has been instigating and using it to pull Japan into sanctions and restrictions against China, so that Japan and the Netherlands signed a trilateral agreement to jointly control China's chip field.
Japan may have made this choice out of dependence on the United States and hostility towards China, but this will not benefit Japan itself, but will cause great losses and difficulties.
First of all, Japan's semiconductor materials will lose China, the largest market, which is a huge blow to Japan's economic income and industrial development, and China can find alternatives from other countries and regions, or speed up its own.
Secondly, Japan's lithography machine will also lose China, its largest customer, which is a huge challenge to Japan's technological innovation and market competitiveness, while China can get more advanced lithography machines from the Netherlands, or speed up the process of independent research and development, and improve its self-sufficiency ability.
Thirdly, Japan's other cooperation will also be snubbed and resisted by China, which is a huge threat to Japan's overall economic and social stability, and China can find partners from other friendly countries and regions to expand its international influence.
Finally, Japan's technological level will also be surpassed by China's rapid development, which is a huge crisis for Japan's national and international status, and China can use its technological advantages to promote the progress and development of global related industries.
To sum up, Japan was really tricked by the United States this time, not only did it not gain any benefits, but on the contrary, it lost a lot, and it may also be left behind by China, and Japan can only reap the consequences and regret it.
03 China's opportunities and challenges.
China has been trying to catch up in the field of semiconductors, defying the suppression and restrictions of the United States, showing its innovation and resilience, in addition to cooperation with countries such as the Netherlands, China has also made some breakthroughs and progress in independent research and development.
In October last year, the Chinese Academy of Sciences announced that China had conquered the 3nm photonic chip technology, and Zhongke Xintong Company also announced that it would establish the first photonic chip production line in China, and this production line has been completed this year, and China has basically been able to achieve mass production of photonic chips.
Photonic chip is a kind of chip that uses optical signals instead of electrical signals, compared with electronic chips, photonic chips have higher performance and lower power consumption, and the manufacture of photonic chips does not need to rely on lithography machines, but through epitaxial design.
The advantage of photonic chips is that they have relatively low requirements for semiconductor structures and only require 100-nanometer process technologies to manufacture, which are already mature in China, so they are also easier to produce.
The disadvantage of photonic chip is that its accuracy and integration are relatively low, and the size of the chip is relatively large, so it can only be used in some specific fields, such as communication, computing, sensing, etc., and cannot be widely used in various devices and products.
The advantage of electronic chips is that its accuracy and integration are relatively high, and the size of the chip is relatively small, so it can be used in various fields, such as mobile phones, computers, automobiles, medical, etc., but the manufacture of electronic chips needs to rely on lithography machines, and nano-level process technology is required, which is China's current shortcoming.
Therefore, China still has many opportunities and challenges in the field of semiconductors, and the arrival of the Dutch lithography machine will bring new hope and possibilities to China, but it also requires China to accelerate its own technological innovation and industrial upgrading in order to truly realize the independence and strength of semiconductors.