Regarding the ban on EUV lithography machines, Korean companies broke it with one move, and the means reappeared 10 years ago!
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Introduction: The ban on extreme ultraviolet lithography technology, which was once broken by Korean companies, is now reappearing!
Extreme ultraviolet lithography technology is the core equipment for manufacturing high-end chips and the core link of the entire semiconductor industry chain. However, due to the ban on extreme ultraviolet lithography in the United States, the global semiconductor industry has been greatly affected. This ban not only affects the Dutch company ASML, but also downstream chip manufacturers such as Samsung, SK hynix, and TSMC. With this in mind, South Korean companies have adopted a new tactic in which they cleverly circumvent the ban, a trick that was already used 10 years ago!
First, we need to understand the fundamental reasons why EUV lithography machines are disabled. The U.S. move is aimed at weakening China's position in the global semiconductor market, with the aim of controlling key equipment and thus limiting the development of China's semiconductor industry. However, the ban did not work as expected, and on the contrary, China accelerated its independent research and development in an attempt to break the technological blockade.
South Korean companies have shown flexibility in responding to the ban. SK hynix, for example, cleverly circumvented the ban. SK hynix also has a wafer factory in China, and without advanced lithography technology, it will inevitably affect production capacity, so SK hynix immediately announced that it will break down the process into three steps: first complete the basic process by the Chinese mainland factory, then send the wafer back to South Korea for EUV process, and then ship it back to China for final packaging. Finished product packaging plant.
Although this will increase the production cost, because the *** DARM chip is higher, the high cost can be fully recovered, so SK hynix can still make a considerable profit. In addition, this strategy has successfully broken the ban on EUV lithography machines, bringing new ideas to other manufacturers, which can be described as a repetition of the strategy of a decade ago, which SK hynix has used before.
In the long run, the promulgation of the ban on extreme ultraviolet lithography will have a profound impact on the global semiconductor industry pattern. First, the ban will accelerate the regionalization of the semiconductor industry. In the face of technological blockade, the global semiconductor industry landscape will change dramatically. Second, the ban will force China to accelerate the self-sufficiency and self-improvement of the semiconductor industry. China will further increase investment in research and development of semiconductor materials, accelerate the breakthrough of technological blockade, and improve independent production capacity. This will help China gain a firm foothold in the global semiconductor market and gradually reduce its dependence on foreign technology and equipment.
At the same time, however, it is important to be mindful of the challenges that limit EUV lithography. In globalization and division of labor, the reduction of key technologies in a certain country or region will lead to the differentiation of the global industrial chain. This segmentation has caused a series of problems such as poor technology exchange, unbalanced resource allocation, and market segmentation, which has seriously affected the healthy development of the global semiconductor industry. Therefore, countries around the world should not only strengthen technological self-reliance, but also pay attention to maintaining the stability and cooperation of the global industrial chain.
In the face of the ban on EUV lithography machines and other technical restrictions, companies should actively adjust their strategies and production models. First of all, enterprises should strengthen exchanges and cooperation with industry associations to jointly deal with the technology blockade. Secondly, it is necessary to increase investment in research and development, enhance the ability of independent innovation, and develop new technologies and equipment; At the same time, it is necessary to pay close attention to the dynamic changes of the global industrial chain and adjust the production and production strategy in a timely manner to ensure that it maintains a competitive advantage in the global semiconductor market.
Therefore, the promulgation of the ban on extreme ultraviolet lithography has had a huge impact and challenge on the global semiconductor industry. At the same time, this has also forced many countries and enterprises to accelerate the pace of independent research and development and technological innovation. Under such circumstances, all countries should strengthen cooperation and exchanges to jointly maintain the stability and prosperity of the global industrial chain. In order to cope with the impact of technology lockdown, companies need to be agile and innovate and strategically adjust. Only in this way can we promote the sustainable development and progress of the global semiconductor industry.