China’s Prinano delivers first domestic nanoimprint litho tool

Chinese firm Prinano has announced the first delivery of a homegrown nanoimprint lithography machine. The NIL tool, which uses quartz molds engraved with nanoscale circuit patterns, offers an alternative path to chip production by mechanically stamping designs onto wafers.

This positions Prinano as the first company after Canon to commercialize NIL technology. Following a decade of development, the Japanese firm sold its first tool last year. Prinano’s machine reportedly offers comparable resolution, though overlay precision and throughput remain unclear.

Analysts see the move as strategic: NIL doesn’t directly rival optical or EUV patterning but could serve as a complementary or interim solution in China’s push toward semiconductor self-sufficiency.