ASML export ban lifted! The dawn of domestic 7nm chips is coming
The news of the lifting of export restrictions on ASML lithography machines and the launch of 7 nm deep ultraviolet high-end lithography machines is like a lightning bolt that pierces the night sky, pointing out the way forward for China's chip manufacturing. This not only indicates that the pattern of the global semiconductor industry chain will undergo subtle changes, but also indicates that China Chip will turn a new page in the pursuit of excellence.
ASML, a Dutch company, has entered the field of lithography decades ago, and the immersion deep ultraviolet lithography technology developed in cooperation with TSMC broke the monopoly of Nikon in Japan and opened a new chapter for Moore's Law. However, behind ASML's success is the influence and control of the United States. The United States has taken advantage of the absolute advantage of the global market, which is like a double-edged sword, on the one hand, it has promoted the development of semiconductor technology, and on the other hand, it has also intensified international competition and technological blockade.
Now, ASML has eased export controls on high-end deep ultraviolet lithography equipment, giving Chinese chipmakers a great opportunity to enter advanced processes below 14 nm. You must know that chips with processes above 7 nm are the "crown jewels" in today's high-tech industries such as smartphones, artificial intelligence chips, and data centers.
Although there are industry leaders such as Huawei, HiSilicon, and UNISOC in China, there are also Changdian Technology's leading advantages in 3 nm packaging technology. Huawei's HiSilicon, Loongson Zhongke's Taishan, Maleonn, Loongson and other domestic systems all revolve around IP architecture and instruction sets. However, due to the lack of advanced lithography equipment, China has been unable to independently realize the mass production of advanced process chips of 7 nm and below.
With the lifting of ASML's export restrictions on deep ultraviolet lithography machines, the leading edge of domestic manufacturers in chip manufacturing is a foregone conclusion. This means that we can use these machines to process more advanced chips, further narrowing the gap with the world's leading companies. At the same time, this project will also provide experimental basis for China's self-developed extreme ultraviolet photoresist and related materials, and accelerate its industrialization process.
However, while it is positive, we should also be vigilant. While grasping the opportunity of continuous improvement of the external environment, we must also adhere to independent innovation, continue to overcome key technical problems, and establish a sound domestic industrial chain. The domestic lithography machine manufacturers represented by Shanghai Microelectronics, shouldering the mission entrusted to them by the state, unswervingly break through the technical barriers of foreign countries, and move towards the goal of higher precision and higher performance lithography machines.
Looking back, we have gone through hardships and hardships; Looking forward to the future, we are full of confidence and courage to move forward to meet the challenges. At the dawn of every scientific and technological progress, the road ahead is tortuous and bumpy, but it is precisely these dangers that give us a strong will and strength to climb higher peaks. This is a TV series with the theme of chip manufacturing, which tells the story of how China's scientific and technological power has risen in the face of adversity, and then continued to write its own glory.