SMIC tests domestically developed immersion tool

China’s SMIC has begun trialing a DUV immersion tool developed by Shanghai-based startup Yuliangsheng, according to a Financial Times report. The machine is said to support the production of 28nm chips, which, through application of multi-patterning techniques, could be stretched to 7nm-node circuits. The majority of the tool’s components are made domestically, but some parts are sourced from abroad.

The tool represents China’s most advanced known effort to reduce reliance on imports of semiconductor manufacturing gear. Nonetheless, even if the tests are successful, transitioning a prototype tool into high-yield mass production will take years. China still lacks access to extreme ultraviolet (EUV) equipment, which remains essential for sub-5nm nodes. Shenzhen-based Sicarrier, a shareholder in Yuliangsheng, is spearheading a domestic EUV effort under the codename “Mount Everest,” but progress is still early-stage.