15 years of scientific research results released, Japanese companies officially challenged ASML lithography machine!
The R&D and manufacturing of chips can be said to be the most complex industrial link in the world, and the most advanced process has reached 3nm, which means that tens of billions of transistors need to be accommodated in a space the size of a fingernail, and it is obvious that all this can only be completed by relying on EUV lithography machines.
An EUV lithography machine gathers the most advanced technology of human beings, and the only ASML that can be manufactured at present can only achieve 10% of the technology autonomy, which means that more than 90% need to rely on the first chain to complete, and the core technology comes from more than 20 countries.
The core light source technology comes from the United States, which also makes ASML lose its independent management rights, but with the hegemony of science and technology in the United States, it has broken a world for this company, and ASML has completely monopolized the mid-to-high-end lithography machine market.
But the good times did not last long, with the further tightening of US restrictions, ASML's monopoly began to decline, and the Japanese company Canon after 15 years of hard work, officially announced that it began to challenge ASML's position, and will launch lower-cost nanoimprint lithography technology this year.
According to the data provided by Canon, the current nanoimprint technology has been able to achieve a semiconductor node width of 5nm, and will continue to promote the 2nm process in the future, which not only reduces the procurement cost of equipment, but also reduces the cost at the subsequent core level.
At present, the cost of ASML's EUV lithography machine is as high as more than 100 million US dollars, which is not affordable by ordinary enterprises, which also leads to very few manufacturers who can manufacture high-end chips, gradually forming a monopoly situation in the market, and Canon's nanoimprint lithography machine may change this pattern.
Suppressed by the United States in an all-round way, ASML has been well protected, but the continuous escalation of chip rules has led to the collapse of the global cooperation system.
You must know that Japanese companies are the originators of lithography machines, but unfortunately they have been sanctioned by the United States in all directions, which has led to the growth of ASML, but now Canon wants to be born out of thin air is not so simple, and there may be no problem with technology, but it is poor in the difference in customer groups.
After the implementation of the "tripartite agreement between the United States, Japan and the Netherlands", Japan officially announced the shipment of 23 core-making equipment, which also directly locked up Chinese enterprise customers.
But it is not completely without opportunities, at present, ASML has also been limited in the shipment of high-end DUV lithography machines, and the two sides are almost on the same starting line, who can solve the problem of shipment, will be able to win this victory.
But for Canon, it is also necessary to further confirm the feasibility of its own technology, even if the equipment procurement ** is more than half lower than the EUV lithography machine, but it is also a lot of expenditure, no one will be a big wrong, this is also a problem that Canon needs to solve.
However, for the Chinese market, it is also necessary to accelerate the research and development of independent technology, relying on no one is better than relying on themselves, at present, breakthroughs have been achieved in core technologies, and Chinese enterprises also need to work hard to achieve the independence of lithography machines.
As long as the assembly of the 28nm lithography machine can be realized, the use of advanced technology can meet the needs of the current market chip use, what do you think about this?
The Year of Science and Technology in China